Moran spends taxpayer funds on political consultants, PR firm while requesting larger budgets

As Mike Moran campaigned to become Sarasota County’s tax collector in 2024, he ran as a fiscal conservative who would cut through bureaucratic waste and overspending.

In political mailers and at campaign events, Moran attacked his Democratic incumbent opponent for “over taxation” and “ripping off Sarasota County taxpayers.” He emphasized his work in the private sector and his experience serving two terms on the Sarasota County Commission.

Moran has increased monthly spending by more than 50% compared to a similar timespan of his predecessor while requesting double-digit budget hikes two years in a row and seeking to boost his workforce by more than one-third.

A Suncoast Searchlight review of four years of monthly expenditures — spanning Moran’s tenure and the tail end of his predecessor’s tenure — also found that travel expenses under Moran have nearly doubled. 

It also revealed Moran has spent more than $500,000 on a high-profile consultant, a public relations firm and political lobbyists with ties to conservative fundraising.

His outsized spending comes as the county’s constitutional officers, which include the sheriff, property appraiser and supervisor of elections, are being asked to keep their budget increases under 2% amid a financial crunch that officials have warned about for more than a year. That outlook could worsen if Amendment 3 passes in November, reducing the largest source of revenue for local governments — property taxes.

“He doesn’t quite understand he works for a publicly-funded agency,” Anne Gannon, who has been Palm Beach County’s Tax Collector for nearly 20 years, said in response to Moran’s spending patterns. She questioned why he would need to hire so many more employees without a drastic hike in customer transactions. 

“The people of Sarasota fund his agency,” Gannon said.

Moran was elected as tax collector in 2024 after eight years on the Sarasota County Commission, defeating Barbara Ford-Coates, who had held the position since 1984 and for decades was the area’s only Democrat to hold a constitutional office.

Moran’s tenure has been marred by controversy.

While serving as a commissioner, Moran was also the executive director of the Florida PACE Funding Agency, a government organization that facilitates financing for home improvements like new roofs and hurricane protection. A 2024 Florida Trident investigation found Moran spent $36,000 of taxpayers’ money on extravagant trips and dinners.

Days after becoming tax collector, and stepping down from FPFA, Moran received a $100,767 payment from the agency for six months of “transition services.” A Florida Auditor General report last month concluded the payment violated state law and, as first reported by the Florida Trident, noted the agency could not produce records showing Moran performed any services for the money.

State Attorney Ed Brodsky has said he will refer the matter to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Moran’s handling of tax dollars as tax collector also put him at odds with Sarasota County Schools. His office withheld more than $2 million from a voter-approved school tax to cover the cost of collecting it, ending a decades-old practice of the county covering the fee. 

The school board and two taxpayers sued Moran in April, alleging the money was unlawfully diverted from public schools. State lawmakers then passed a bill, signed into law, that restricts tax collectors from that practice. Moran’s agency has since returned the money to the school district.

At a Sarasota Tiger Bay Club panel Thursday, Moran defended his spending, saying he doesn’t take “one penny” of excess funds.

During the panel’s question-and-answer portion, Suncoast Searchlight pressed Moran’s increased spending, which he attributed to urgent technology needs. Records show his office has spent more than $1 million on a contract with the Grant Street Group, a software company used by tax collectors statewide.

In an email responding to further questions, Moran attributed his office’s travel costs to employee training and said the money spent on consultants helped with “correcting” the School Board fees and collecting customer feedback.

“We are working on a number of initiatives including customer service surveys upon checking out, as well as increasing Google reviews,” Moran said in the email to Suncoast Searchlight. “We can easily service over 1,200 customers in our DMV offices every day. Most every resident in Sarasota County will walk through our doors sooner or later. We are committed to increasing education and communication to our residents.”

But his explanation does not account for the full scope of his spending.

Records reviewed by Suncoast Searchlight show the office spent about $678,000 on a new budget category called “special pay,” which Moran said is used for an employee-sponsored retirement savings plan.

Moran also paid $38,939 for employee uniforms — five shirts each for 130 employees annually, according to Moran — while his spending on “professional services” increased more than fourfold during his first year.

Mike Fasano, who has served as Pasco County’s Tax Collector since 2013 and has criticized Moran in the past, laughed when a reporter mentioned the spending on uniforms.

“They must look pretty good down there,” Fasano said. “No, we couldn’t afford that.”Fasano also questioned Moran’s use of a consulting firm, something he said he’s never done at his office. He added that if he or his staff felt the need to pay for outside assistance, “then we should no longer be in the business.”

Tax Collector spends tax money on Google reviews

In July, Moran stood before Sarasota County commissioners to make the case for another double-digit budget increase.

The tax collector’s budget is approved by the Florida Department of Revenue — not the county — but constitutional officers often present their budgets to commissioners, who have a stake in how much they spend. The tax collector’s excess funds are distributed back to local taxing authorities.

As justification for his proposed budget hike, Moran argued his agency was delivering results and presented evidence of that through Google reviews for each of his four offices, which ranged in scores from 4.1 to 4.6.

“Anything that gets a one or a two rating goes directly to me,” Moran said. “The goal here for this organization is 4.8.”

What Moran did not mention is that he is paying a public relations firm $96,000 per year under a contract that calls for generating 200 new Google reviews every month.

Moran hired the Lou Hammond Group in January to provide crisis communications, strategic consulting and social media management, including the Google review mandate. 

When asked via email about the scope of the Lou Hammond Group’s work for Moran, the company’s Florida president, Britt Chapman, responded that “the contract is available for review through public record.” 

The contract and invoices obtained by Suncoast Searchlight outline plans to increase the office’s Facebook followers by 20 a month, draft and submit editorials to media outlets, and create two informational videos per month.

“Back in June, LHG was given notice that their contract would not be renewed for the next fiscal year,” Moran said in an email. “We are exploring having a third-party manage our social media presence with the public, but that has not been concluded.” 

Moran spent over $500,000 on political, strategic consultants

The Ramba Consulting Group lobbying firm holds an esteemed client list that includes Benderson Development, Neal Communities and the Florida Power & Light Co. that it represents in Tallahassee.

Among their lobbyists is Evan Power, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Dave Ramba, the group’s founder, also moves a prodigious amount of money through a variety of political committees — he chairs about 30 of them, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

Ramba is also the lobbyist for the Florida PACE Funding Agency.

As tax collector, Moran has paid Ramba at least $100,000 for “consulting services” from December through February, according to a check register obtained by Suncoast Searchlight. The exact purpose of these consultations remains unclear.

Ramba was not the only consultant Moran has hired since becoming tax collector.

Between two payments in November and in March, Moran paid $100,000 to Corcoran Partners – a top Florida lobbying firm – for more “consulting services.”

Neither Dave Ramba nor Corcoran Partners responded to calls for comment from Suncoast Searchlight.

Moran’s contracts with consultants didn’t end there.

During his first year in office, Moran spent at least $300,000 for consultation services with Virginia-based Guidehouse Inc.

In 2024, Guidehouse paid $7.6 million as part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations that it violated the False Claims Act as part of a cybersecurity contract for COVID-19 benefits.

Ramba is listed as Guidehouse’s Tallahassee lobbyist.

Documents show Guidehouse served two purposes for Moran. First, as a consultant hired to form a four-year strategic plan. Second, to perform a “forensic accounting” of the Tax Collector’s office when it was run by Ford-Coates – an investigation into his former political rival using taxpayer funds.

The audit found $461,753 in additional pay and leave for 13 exempt employees without records showing who authorized the payments, when the office dealt with mass resignations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the matter.

Ford-Coates told Suncoast Searchlight she has not been contacted by law enforcement, but said she would cooperate with an investigation.

“I do believe that my office was in full compliance with all laws,” Ford-Coates said.

She also said that in her time as tax collector, she could not recall any instance of hiring outside consultants or public relations firms.

Gannon, the Palm Beach Tax Collector, said she has worked with an outside consultant on a strategic plan, but the costs never exceeded $50,000. 

“I just never have heard of that,” Gannon said. “And I can tell you, my constituents wouldn’t put up with that.”

Florida Trident Investigative Reporter Michael Barfield contributed to this story. 

Christian Casale covers government and politics for Suncoast Searchlight. Email him at christian@suncoastsearchlight.org