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More than a dozen Broward cities and multiple taxing authorities recently received checks they hadn’t expected.

Miramar got more than $373,000. Oakland Park got $180,000. Tamarac got $91,000. A huge beneficiary was the North Broward Hospital District, which got $4.8 million.

Taxpayers provided that money. It reflects excess fees collected on behalf of taxing authorities last fiscal year, other than property taxes, such as fire safety and stormwater protection, that were not spent and which by law must be returned.

But nobody is celebrating a windfall.

A tense battle

Instead, the money is the subject of a tense behind-the-scenes battle between the county and Tax Collector Abbey Ajayi. The county wants that money, saying it should have recei

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