The Levy County Tax Collector branch office in Williston remains closed by order of Tax Collector Linda Fugate. She says she wants to protect employees from COVID-19. Photo by Linda Cooper

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

            A Levy County woman whose 16-year-old daughter can’t take her driver road test from the Levy County Tax Collector’s office due to a suspension of the program is raising questions about why testing was halted.

            The woman said Levy County parents are being asked to send their 16-year-olds to a private company with offices in Gainesville and Ocala to take their road driving tests.

            She said student drivers must pay $49.95 for the tests. They will get a reduced rate of $6.95 to pick up their license at the Levy County Annex when they pass the test. The Annex is the new home of the Tax Collector’s Bronson office.

            The mother, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it isn’t fair for teenagers who have never driven in Gainesville to be forced to take their driver test on the congested streets of the city.

            “For our kids who are only used to driving here in Levy County, to send them to Gainesville, a bigger city, their anxiety level taking a driver’s test in town is through the roof,” she said.

            She said Tax Collector Linda Fugate told her that Tax Collector employees don’t want to get in cars with people.

            “She said her employees aren’t comfortable getting in a car with people and they have kids and family at home. I work for government too. I choose to serve my community. I put on my mask every day and I go to work each day and I serve my community. I make sure I take precautions to protect myself and my child,” she said.

            The woman said she contacted Gilchrist County to find out whether her daughter could take the take the driver test there. Gilchrist County is continuing to give driver road tests but she said a spokesman told her they were only serving Gilchrist County residents. She said she understood why the county wasn’t accepting out of county drivers.

            She said the company in Gainesville giving driver road tests in lieu of the Levy County Tax Collector’s office doing the job requires masks for their employees and the young drivers. The employee can wear gloves. She said drivers are asked if they have been in contact with a person who is positive for COVID-19 or if they were out of state or out of the county in recent months.

            “They take precautions,” she said.

            Fugate has suspended more than the driver testing program.

            Her branch offices in Chiefland and Williston remain closed until further notice. An employee of the Tax Collector’s office in Bronson said clerks at the two branch offices work at open counters. She said the main office in Bronson is equipped with glass shields that provide protection for employees. She said the Annex has a large hallway that allows customers to be spaced for social distancing, something that’s not possible at the two branch offices.

            Fugate was unavailable for comment. She was off Thursday and wasn’t expected back until Monday.  Employees said she could return the call at that time.

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Enterprise reporting by Terry Witt July 23, 2020; Posted July 23, 2020