Seminole County, Florida

Seminole County is a located in the  of  and part of the. It is located in the central part of Florida between to the south and / to the north. As of 2000, the population was 365,196. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the 2006 population was 406,875. Its is.

History
Seminole County was created on, out of part of  by the. It was named for the tribe of. The name "Seminole" is thought to be derived from the word cimarron, meaning "wild" or "runaway."

Government
The government currently operates under a County Charter originally adopted in and amended in,. 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:

Elected
Commissioner, District I - Bob Dallari

Commissioner, District II - Michael McLean

Commissioner, District III - Dick Van Der Weide

Commissioner, District IV - Carlton D. Henley

Commissioner, District V - Brenda Carey

Clerk of the Circuit Court - Maryanne Morse

- Donald F. Eslinger

Tax Collector - Ray Valdes

Property Appraiser - David Johnson

Supervisor of Elections - Michael Ertel

Other
Administrative Services Director - Steve L. Howard CPM-CPPO (currently vacant)

Business Innovation and Technology Services Director - Colleen Rotella (resigned)

Community Information Director - Steve Olson, PIO (currently vacant)

Community Services Director - David Medley / Phil Stalvey

County Attorney - Robert A. McMillan

County Engineer - Jerry McCollum

County Manager - Cynthia A. Coto

Deputy County Manager - Don Fisher (resigned)

Economic Development Director - William McDermott

Environmental Services Director - John Cirello

Finance Director - David C. Godwin, CPA

- Leeanna Raw

Fiscal Services Director - Lisa Spriggs, CPA

Human Resources Director - Janet Davis

Leisure Services Director - Joe Abel

Library Services Director - Jane Peterson

Planning & Development Director - Dori DeBord

Public Safety Director - Tad Stone / K Roberts

Public Works Director - Gary Johnson

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 893 (345 ). 798 km² (308 sq mi) of it is land and 95 km² (37 sq mi) of it (10.63%) is water.

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

Adjacent Counties

 * - southeast
 * - north/east
 * - west/south
 * - west

Demographics
As of the 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. The was 458/km² (1,185/sq mi). There were 147,079 housing units at an average density of 184/km² (477/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 82.41%, 9.52% or , 0.30% , 2.50% , 0.04% , 3.06% from , and 2.18% from two or more races. 11.15% of the population were or  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 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 for the county was $24,591. About 5.10% of families and 7.40% of the population were below the, including 8.60% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.

Because of the massive in the area and outdated and unplanned transit infrastructure, 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, and those in northern commute through Seminole County daily to Orange County.

Incorporated

 * 1) City of
 * 2) City of
 * 3) City of
 * 4) City of
 * 5) City of
 * 6) City of
 * 7) City of

City districts and neighborhoods

 * (partly within the )
 * (partly within the )
 * (partly within the )

Unincorporated

 * (incorporated in however the county line divides some addresses that use "Winter Park" although the city limits are wholly within Orange County)
 * (incorporated in however the county line divides some addresses that use "Winter Park" although the city limits are wholly within Orange County)
 * (incorporated in however the county line divides some addresses that use "Winter Park" although the city limits are wholly within Orange County)
 * (incorporated in however the county line divides some addresses that use "Winter Park" although the city limits are wholly within Orange County)
 * (incorporated in however the county line divides some addresses that use "Winter Park" although the city limits are wholly within Orange County)
 * (incorporated in however the county line divides some addresses that use "Winter Park" although the city limits are wholly within Orange County)

Government links/Constitutional offices

 * Seminole County Government / Board of County Commissioners official website
 * Seminole County Supervisor of Elections
 * Seminole County Property Appraiser
 * Seminole County Public Schools
 * Seminole County Tax Collector
 * Seminole County Sheriff's Office
 * Seminole County Clerk of Courts - also Judicial branch

Special districts

 * Seminole County Public Schools
 * St. Johns River Water Management District

Judicial branch

 * Seminole County Clerk of Courts - also a Constitutional Officer
 * Public Defender, 18th Judicial Circuit of Florida serving and Seminole counties
 * Office of the State Attorney, 18th Judicial Circuit of Florida
 * Circuit and County Court, 18th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Tourism links

 * Seminole County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Miscellaneous links

 * Seminole County Professional Firefighters
 * Sanford Middle School
 * Seminole County Info
 * Photographs From the State Library & Archives of Florida.
 * Seminole County Business Directory
 * Central Florida Memory is a unique digital collection where visitors can discover the history of Seminole County and surrounding areas of Central Florida.
 * Photos]