Seminole County, Florida

Seminole County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. It is located in the central part of Florida between Orlando to the south and DeLand/Daytona Beach to the north. As of 2000, the population was 365,196. Its county seat is Sanford, Florida.⁶

History

Seminole County was created on April 25, 1913 out of part of Orange County by the Florida Legislature. It was named for the Seminole tribe of Indians. The name "Seminole" is thought to be derived from the Spanish word cimarron, meaning "wild" or "runaway."

Government

The government currently operates under a County Charter originally adopted in 1989 and amended in November, 1994. Policymaking and the legislative authority are vested in the Board of County Commissioners, a five-member board elected to four-year terms in partisan, countywide elections and from single member districts. The Board adopts the County budget, levies property taxes and other fees, and hires the County Manager and County Attorney. In addition to the Board there are five Constitutional Officers who are elected to partisan, four-year terms in accordance with the constitution of the State of Florida.

The Constitutional Officers, Clerk of the Circuit and County Courts, Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, and Supervisor of Elections, maintain separate accounting records and budgets. The Board funds a portion or, in certain instances, all of the operating budgets of the County's Constitutional Officers.

The County provides a full range of services; the construction and maintenance of the County's infrastructure, public safety, recreation, health and human services, and development and protection of the physical and economic environment.

In addition to the County Government described above, there are other political entities which are controlled by the County:

Principal Officials

Commissioner, District I - Bob Dallari

Commissioner, District II - Randall C. Morris

Commissioner, District III - Dick Van Der Welde

Commissioner, District IV - Carlton Henley

Commissioner, District V - Brenda Carey

Clerk of the Circuit Court - Maryanne Morse

Sheriff - Donald F. Eslinger

Tax Collector - Ray Valdes

Property Appraiser - David Johnson

Supervisor of Elections - Michael Ertel

County Manager - Cindy Coto

Deputy County Manager - Sally Sherman

Deputy County Manager - Don Fisher

County Attorney - Robert McMillan

Finance Director - Robert L. Wilson

Fiscal Services Director - Lisa Spriggs

Human Resources Director - Janet Davis

Library & Leisure Services Director - Suzy Goldman

Public Safety Director - Ken Roberts

Public Works Director - Gary Johnson

Community Services Director - Phillip Stalvey

Planning & Development Director - Dan Matthys

County Engineer - Jerry McCollum

Tourism Development Director - Suzan Bunn

Economic Development Director - William McDermott

Environmental Services Director - John Cirello

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 893 km² (345 mi²). 798 km² (308 mi²) of it is land and 95 km² (37 mi²) of it (10.63%) is water.

Seminole County's location between Volusia County and Orange County has made it one of the fastest growing counties in Florida. The Greater Orlando Metropolitan District which includes Seminole, Osceola, and the surrounding counties of Lake and Orange counties, together with neighboring Volusia and Brevard counties create a viable, progressive and diverse setting for economic growth and residential development.

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 365,196 people, 139,572 households, and 97,281 families residing in the county. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the population of the County has grown to 394,878 by 2003. The population density was 458/km² (1,185/mi²). There were 147,079 housing units at an average density of 184/km² (477/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.41% White, 9.52% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 2.50% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.06% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. 11.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 139,572 households out of which 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.30% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07. The Department of Education states that in 2003, school enrollment was approximately 72,630.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.40% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 32.00% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $49,326, and the median income for a family was $56,895. Males had a median income of $40,001 versus $28,217 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,591. About 5.10% of families and 7.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.60% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.

Because of the massive urban sprawl in the area and outdated and unplanned transit infastructure, traffic congestion is a growing concern. Fundamentally, the lack of east-west mobility in the area creates severe traffic issues every weekday. Many residents of Seminole County work in Orange County, and those in northern Volusia County commute through Seminole County daily to Orange County.

Economics

Principal Taxpayers

Taxpayer	Type of Business	Assessed Valuation	Percent of Total Taxable Valuation
Colonial Realty LP	Property Management / Development	$ 217,597,511	1.18%
Progress Energy Florida, Inc.	Electric Utility	162,934,377	.88%
BellSouth Telecommunications	Communications	91,591,862	.50%
Seminole Towne Centre LP	Shopping Mall	87,867,747	.48%
Altamonte Mall A Jt. Venture	Shopping Mall	86,903,276	.47%
Sprint-Florida Incorporated	Communications	83,090,520	.45%
Convergys		68,774,402	.37%
United Dominion Realty Tr		61,467,400	.33%
Nextel South Corp., FL-FL9007	Communications	61,461,521	.33%
Rouse-Orlando Inc.	Shopping Mall	60,318,083	.33%