In 2020, at age 33, Sam Steele became the youngest Tax Collector elected in Monroe County history. He was reelected without opposition in 2024 and began his second four-year term in January 2025.
Steele is a graduate of Florida State University and previously worked as a commercial real estate appraiser for Cushman & Wakefield. He brought more than a decade of experience in financial analysis, accounting and budget development to public office, along with a vision to modernize operations and improve the customer experience. Under his leadership, the office remains committed to its mission to “Exceed Expectations in Customer Service.”
Steele is a member of the Florida Tax Collectors Association and previously served on its Board of Directors as the District 10 representative for Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Collier, Lee and Hendry counties. In that role, he supported the Association’s work in leadership development, legislative advocacy and sound public policy. He also serves as State Chair of the Public Records Management Coalition.
Since taking office, Steele and his team have achieved several significant milestones and earned statewide recognition.
Awards and Professional Recognition
- Voted Best Elected Official in the Key West People’s Choice Awards in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
- Received the Florida Tax Collectors Association’s Excellence Award in Financial Operations in 2022, a first for the Monroe County Tax Collector’s Office.
- Received the FTCA Legacy Award in Financial Operations in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
- Received the FTCA Merit Award in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 for achieving clean audits with no findings.
- Earned the Certified Executive Leader designation through FTCA’s multiyear leadership program in partnership with Valencia College.
- Earned the Florida Certified Public Manager designation.
Innovation and Expanded Services
- Collaborated with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to implement virtual inspections for golf cart-to-low-speed vehicle conversions, helping establish a process now used for additional services and saving taxpayer dollars statewide.
- Became the first government organization in Monroe County to implement an artificial intelligence-powered digital employee.
- Became the second Florida Tax Collector’s Office approved and certified as a Passport Acceptance Facility by the U.S. Department of State and Homeland Security, expanding access to passport services for Monroe County residents.
Financial Management and Operational Innovation
- Automated payment processing to improve reconciliation and reduce overtime costs.
- Expanded digital services through online payments, electronic forms and automated customer assistance.
- Implemented technology to strengthen vacation-rental compliance and auditing efficiency.
- Modernized personnel budgeting through centralized, spreadsheet-based planning tools.
- Strengthened financial controls through cloud-based security, updated cash-handling procedures and remote oversight.
- Maintained consecutive clean financial audits with no findings.
Steele and his wife, Lauren, a sixth-generation Conch, are the proud parents of three children. Originally from Miami, Steele met Lauren while attending Florida State University. They shared a goal of settling in the Florida Keys and raising their family in the community they now call home.
In addition to his public service, Steele is actively involved with numerous nonprofit and community organizations. His service includes:
- President, Rotary Club of Key West, 2026–2027
- President and Founder, Florida Keys Bull Sharks, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth sports organization
- Member of the Board of Directors, United Way of Collier and the Keys
- Member of the Board of Directors, Key Haven Park and Recreation, Inc.
- Student Mentor, Take Stock in Children
- Leadership Monroe County Class XXVIII alumnus
- Recipient of the 2023 Men of Valor Award from Samuel’s House
- Former Board Member and Treasurer, A Positive Step of Monroe County
- Former Chair, American Cancer Society Diamond Gala of the Keys
Despite his professional and community accomplishments, Steele considers his family his greatest source of pride.
“My biggest accomplishments in life will always be becoming a husband to my wife and a father to our children.”