| GENERAL INFO / SEAL |
OFFICIAL SEAL
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.
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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. |
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