Janelle Irwin Taylor
Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez was sworn in Tuesday to his fourth consecutive term.
Former Hillsborough County Public Defender Julianne Holt administered the oath of office at the Frederick B. Karl County Center in downtown Tampa, with Henriquez’s wife and children on hand to support him.
Others in attendance included Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Meyers, Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer, Public Defender Lisa McLean and representatives from the Hillsborough County Clerk’s Office.
“In many ways, I want to view this fourth term as my first in the office,” said Henriquez, a fifth-generation Tampa resident. “For all the steps we have taken to improve and modernize the duties we perform, my staff and I never want to rest on our laurels. We want to keep moving forward with the goal of making our office a model for other property appraisers around the nation — and the world.”
Henriquez, a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger John Ballance in the November election with nearly 52% of the vote. His victory came during a banner cycle for Republican candidates, which saw the GOP gain another seat on the County Commission and former Republican County Commissioner Victor Crist unseat Democrat Cindy Stuart for Clerk of Court.
Prior to his first election as Property Appraiser, Henriquez served eight years as a Representative. He also previously worked as a county planner and administrator for the Department of Children and Families, where he oversaw some 300 employees. Henriquez is a graduate of Princeton University.
In addition to his elected service, Henriquez also formerly served as the head coach for Tampa Catholic’s football team, and as an assistant coach at Jefferson and Hillsborough High Schools. At Tampa Catholic, which he also attended as a student, Henriquez led the Crusaders to 13 playoff berths, seven district titles and two appearances in the state championships.
As Property Appraiser, Henriquez oversees a countywide tax roll of more than $100 billion, including from real property and all tangible business property. The county is home to more than 500,000 parcels. Henriquez’s Office also administers property tax exemptions, including homestead, personal military and veteran and senior citizen tax breaks. His office also administers agriculture classifications.
