Michael Merrill has been the director of the Hillsborough County’s Debt Management Department since 1988 and, in addition, was appointed in November 2008 as the Assistant County Administrator for Utilities & Commerce. His responsibilities include the issuance of tax-exempt and taxable financings for the County, and the supervision of the Water Resources, Solid Waste Management, Economic Development, and Affordable Housing Departments.

Prior to joining the county, he worked in Europe as a finance director, managing the subsidiaries of a publicly-held U.S. capital goods manufacturer. For eight years prior to that assignment, he worked in commercial real estate finance, corporate finance and public finance as vice president of a large commercial bank and, later with a regional investment bank.

He is a graduate of Marquette University, a member of the Government Finance Officers Association, and an adjunct instructor at the University of Tampa.

The Utilities and Commerce Office is headed by an Administrator who provides administrative oversight to following departments:

• Affordable Housing
  
• Debt Management
  
• Economic Development
  
• Solid Waste Management
  
• Water Resources Services