Impacts will be felt throughout Polk County.
Repairs to the Lakeland Service Center will significantly reduce the number of customers it can see daily during this necessary building maintenance. The Tax Collector is calling on customers to visit other locations or take advantage of online, phone, or mail services.
LAKELAND, Fla. – Tremendous growth in Lakeland and across Polk County has caused a great increase in customer foot traffic at the Tax Collector’s Massachusetts Avenue location. It’s quite literally worn on the recognizable building, so much, that Tax Collector Joe G. Tedder and his team are launching a project to repair and replace critical flooring here over the next several weeks.
Customers should be aware that this will limit capacity at the Lakeland Service Center by 50% during the important maintenance project.
As many as 4.8 million pairs of feet stepped through the doors of this beloved Lakeland location since it opened to customers in 2013. This historic building was previously Publix Store No. 15, built in 1953. It’s been famously noted for its iconic use of art-deco style features in a grocery store setting. The extensive project will last through mid-May.
“We never want to limit the capacity we have to take care of customers, but this maintenance project is so important when it comes to meeting these facility needs while respecting the tax dollars citizens have invested,” Tax Collector Joe G. Tedder said.
“We still want to ensure our customer service is efficient,” he continued, “so, I implore citizens to take advantage of all the various methods of service that do not involve coming into the Lakeland location in person.”
Because of the decreased capacity during this time, wait times at all Tax Collector locations are expected to rise; many customers who frequent the Lakeland Service Center may consider visiting another location. To cause as little inconvenience as possible, the Tax Collector recommends:
- Online services at www.PolkTaxes.com or mail services for driver license, ID card, and vehicle registration renewals whenever possible
- Online service through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ ‘MyDMV Portal’ for driver license and ID card renewals
- Express Pick-Up service for vehicle registration renewals, through www.PolkTaxes.com
- Kiosk service for vehicle registration renewals, located in each Tax Collector Service Center lobby and at the Grove Park Publix location in Lakeland
- Seeking an appointment for driver license, ID card, or concealed weapons services well in advance of expiration dates
- Connecting with a Tax Collector representative through by live chat at www.PolkTaxes.com or at (863) 534-4700
To better serve customers during this time, the Tax Collector has provided for increased service hours, with the addition of Saturday hours twice a month, at select service centers in Polk County. There is also increased staffing in the Call Center and the Tax Collector’s live online chat service.