LAKELAND, Fla. — Starting Monday, a well-known tax collector’s office in Lakeland will cut the number of customers it serves daily because of floor repairs.

What You Need To Know

  • Starting Monday, Lakeland's Tax Collector's office will cut customer capacity by 50% due to floor repairs, which will last until mid-May

  • Rapid county growth has increased foot traffic, leading to necessary repairs on the historic building

  • Customers are encouraged to visit other service centers in Davenport, Lake Wales, and Bartow

The historical building on North Massachusetts Avenue, known for its Art Deco style, was originally home to a Publix store in 1953. But now, Polk County Tax Collector Joe G. Tedder and his team say the building needs repairs due to heavy foot traffic.

“We were seeing about 400 to 500 customers a day. Now, on a daily basis, in this location alone, it’s usually 800 to 1,000 customers,” Assistant Manager Alicia Stephenson said.

According to a press release, roughly 4.8 million people have visited Lakeland’s only service center since it opened in 2013. Stephenson points to the county’s rapid growth as the reason for the spike in customers.

Over time, she says, the foot traffic has caused wear and tear to the recognizable building. That’s why a new project was launched to help preserve it, starting with the floors.

“It’s something that we can’t deny anymore,” Communications Manager Ashleigh Mills said. “We’ve got to be able to repair it because maintenance is important to this investment. This building is so iconic; we want to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars to keep it in its pristine condition.”

Mills says floor repairs will last through mid-May. In the meantime, the Lakeland office will reduce customer capacity by 50%. Employees plan to shut down 15 service stations during each phase of the project, which could lead to longer wait times.

“Even though we won’t be able to assist as many customers at this location, we do offer other locations,” Stephenson said. “We’re offering Saturday hours as well in some of our locations, so if they can just be patient with us, it will be beautiful in the end.”

Polk County’s tax collector encourages customers to visit other service centers in Davenport, Lake Wales, and Bartow.

To cause as little inconvenience as possible, the Tax Collector also 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 pickup 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.