Commissioner Chris Craft is a resident of Lakewood Park and St. Lucie County native. He graduated from Fort Pierce Westwood High School in 1992, where he lettered in Band while participating in many other school activities. After graduating from high school, he worked at Coca-Cola Enterprise for ten years as a Sales Market Manager.
At the age of 31, Commissioner Craft was sworn into office, where he is now serving his second term, after being re-elected in 2008. Since being elected into office, he has served as the Chairman twice.
Commissioner Craft has been active in collaborating and developing strategies to help reduce costs associated with those who are incarcerated, by serving as Chairman of the Public Safety Coordinating Council and the Court Facilities Space Needs Committee. Due to his perseverance, dedication, and foresight, he has been instrumental in reducing costs, which has saved millions of tax dollars through increased efficiencies within the system.
In 2009, Commissioner Craft served as Chairman for the Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments. He continues to serve on this committee along with other elected officials from Indian River, Martin and Okeechobee County. Commissioner Craft understands the importance of working together with neighboring entities in order to attract businesses to St. Lucie County; thus, increasing the opportunities for creating jobs for local residents.
For the past three years, Commissioner Craft has served on the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) in which he is always willing to listen and provide property homeowners with the opportunity to express their concerns. Since then the VAB has processed more than 3,000 petitions.
Commissioner Craft also serves on the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, Healthy Kids Board, Treasure Coast Education and Research Development Board, Environmental Control Board, St. Lucie County Sustainability Committee, St. Lucie County Insurance Committee, and the Transportation Planning Organization.
Chris sits on the board of Healthy Kids, an organization which distributes applications for uninsured children to participate in Florida KidCare. He also serves on the Treasure Coast Education Development Authority, working to bring jobs to the region's education and industrial parks. He has chaired the St. Lucie County Property & Homeowner Associations, St. Lucie County Erosion District, Public Safety Coordinating Council, Court Facilities Space Needs Committee, and Value Adjustment Board, among others.
Chris was born on May 7, 1973, is a resident of Lakewood Park, and a native of St. Lucie County. He has been married to his wife Patti for 13 years and is the father of one daughter, Sydni, who is looking forward to campaigning with her dad.
Serving as the Tax Collector isn't about setting millage rates, it's about providing quality customer service, creating innovated programs to reach residents and being accessible. Through two terms as County Commissioner, Chris has helped lead St. Lucie County in earning more than 75 state and national awards from organizations such as the International City/County Management Association, National Association of Counties, Florida City/County Managers Association, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, Florida Airports Council, Florida Green Building Coalition and others. These awards have honored St. Lucie County for its innovated programs and excellent public relations and marketing efforts.
Job Opening: St. Lucie County Tax Collector
No vacancies at this time.
Qualified candidates for the position should fill-out and print the application and mail or bring it to the Tax Collector’s Office, Human Resources Manager, at the Ft. Pierce office and the Port St. Lucie office.
Another option is you may email the completed application directly to our office by sending it to taxcollector@tcslc.com using the local or online email program of your choice.
Fort Pierce office
2300 Virginia Avenue
Fort Pierce, FL 34982
Port St. Lucie office
1664 SE Walton Road
East of US #1, Suite 101
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 308
Ft. Pierce, FL 34954-0308
Make checks payable to
Chris Craft, Tax Collector St. Lucie County
Telephone Number - 772.462.1650
Office Hours - 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays
Driver License, Closed at 4:30PM observed holidays
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are PUBLIC RECORDS. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 308, Ft. Pierce, FL 34954-0308
Telephone Number - 772.462.1650
Office Hours - 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays
Driver License, Closed at 4:30PM observed holidays
Observed Holidays
The Tax Collector's Office is scheduled to be closed in observance of the following holidays.
2013
January 1, (Tuesday) New Year's Day observance
January 21, (Monday) Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
February 18, (Monday) Presidents Day
March 29, (Friday) Good Friday
May 27, (Monday) Memorial Day
July 4 (Thursday) Independence Day
September 2, (Monday) Labor Day
November 11, (Monday) Veteran's Day
November 28 & 29, (Thursday & Friday) Thanksgiving
December 24 & 25, (Tuesday & Wednesday) Christmas
2014
January 1, (Wednesday) New Year's Day observance
Next, always remember to renew your auto (vehicle) registration and tag or boat (vessel) registration and decal on or before midnight of your birthday (or the expiration date indicated on your auto or boat registration). Generally, auto and boat registrations are issued to expire annually on the birthday of the 1st owner listed on the registration.
This applies to passenger cars, recreational vehicles, light trucks under 5,000 lbs., small trailers, motorcycles and boats. (Exceptions are: company owned vehicles which are renewed in June; some lease vehicles; and, truck-tractors, semi-trailers, trucks over 5000 lbs., and 9 passenger automobiles for hire which must be renewed in December.)
Note: Vehicle registrations and tags may be renewed 90 days prior to their expiration.
On April 1st all unpaid real estate taxes and all unpaid tangible personal property taxes become delinquent.
Also, beginning April 1st (through June 30th), new businesses seeking to obtain a county Business Tax Receipt will be assessed only one-half of the cost of an annual license.
On April 30th, all applications for next year's property tax payment installment plan are due.
In July, International Registration Plan (IRP) or apportioned autos (vehicles) which are commercial truck-tractors and trucks over 26,000 lbs that also travel outside Florida must file for registration renewal.
Also in July, the renewal of annual county Local Business Tax Receipts begins.
March 1st is the deadline to file new homestead exemptions with the Property Appraiser's Office.
All real estate property taxes / tangible personal property taxes are due in full by the 31st of March; also due in March is the fourth and final installment payments for those who are on the Property Tax Installment Plan.
In December, the third installment is due, including a 3% discount, for those who are on the Property Tax Installment Payment Plan.
Also in December, registrations must be renewed for all autos (vehicles) which are truck tractors, semi-trailers, trucks over 5,000 lbs., and 9 passenger automobiles for hire.
Finally, mobile home owners, who do not also own the property on which their mobile home is affixed, are required to renew their mobile home annual registration and decal before December 31st.
