Seal of the Tax Collector’s Office for Polk County, Florida
From the birth of Polk County in 1861, including the establishment of the Constitutional Office of Tax Collector in 1868, the people of Polk County had no discernible seal to associate with their Tax Collector.
Then, in 1997, the Tax Collector’s Office adopted its “Official Seal” and dedicated it to the taxpayers of “Imperial Polk County.”
The Tax Collector’s Official Seal prominently features one of Polk County’s historic highway markers, erected in 1930. These markers were strategically placed to welcome visitors into Polk County and promote tourism and citrus. These monuments also served as historic links to previous markers, which then stood as arches across Polk County’s impressive roadways, and as testament to the tangible results of its working tax dollars.
The Tax Collector’s Seal also incorporates symbolism into its design.
First, to demonstrate the Tax Collector’s relationship and commitment to education, a Western sun shines the light of knowledge onto the perfect side of the highway monument. Interestingly, the Eastern side of the marker, which faces into the dark, is made imperfect by a misspelling.
Second, to honor the Tax Collector’s ties to Polk’s seventeen municipalities, a like number of stars adorn the Eastern night-time sky.
Finally, both the State of Florida and Polk County are depicted to represent the importance of an independent Tax Collector, who is responsible for managing the important revenue interests of the state and the governing authorities within the county.
The highway monument pictured in the seal is based on a 1985 Polk County Historical Association illustration by Eileen O’Leary and a photograph of an actual marker near Loughman.