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Tax collector. Property appraiser.

Are those positions elected?

Yes, indeed. It’s just that voters in Collier and Lee counties are not accustomed to seeing them on the ballot.

But this year is different.

For voting in the Nov. 4 elections, for which early voting begins Oct. 20, our editorial board recommends:

Collier County tax collector

Republican Guy Carlton has been in that job for the past 28 years; since 1980 his name was not on the ballot even once for a contest. To succeed him as he retires, the editorial board at this newspaper heartily recommends Larry Ray.

Ray, another Republican, brings a varied background, as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, military science professor and an executive of construction at NCH Healthcare System. He has been on the tax collector’s staff since January 2007, supervising the county’s procedures in all 13 branches of this very important office.

He knows that tracking the public’s money is only part of the job. The rest includes making sure service is courteous and convenient, and telling people why and how the office does what it does.

We look forward to a seamless transition — Larry Ray picking up where Guy Carlton leaves off.

■ Also in race: Chris Fanno, no party affiliation

■ Who can vote? All 200,000 voters in Collier County

Lee County property appraiser

Ken Wilkinson has been the property appraiser in Lee County for as long as Carlton has collected taxes in Collier — 28 years.

There is a reason for that. Wilkinson is good at it.

Plus, he is always looking to improve the system for the benefit of the public he serves. He is the father of Save Our Homes and continues to look for ways for properties beyond homesteads to take part in its fairness and benefits.

He has become the go-to guy for tax and property appraisal information throughout the state. He was named last year to the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission.

For this election he has drawn three opponents. One, a fellow Republican, was easily defeated in the Aug. 26 primary. A Democrat, John Glaser, and a no-party-affiliate, Larry St. Amand, confront him now. All three accuse him of favoritism — appraising some properties too high and others too low. We believe that in a county with more than 520,000 property parcels there are bound to be discrepancies and room for questions and even error. We believe the allegations fail to show a pattern of malice or carelessness.

What any of his opponents fail to do is match Wilkinson’s level of know-how and devotion to public service.

We criticize Wilkinson for failing to vigorously denounce an attempted smear of Glaser as having a criminal past. He has a clean record. It appears Wilkinson partisans got public records about another John Glaser and failed to get the whole story before going to the press.

In a field such as property appraisals where integrity is the franchise, Wilkinson ought to know better. He should have denounced it and vowed to expose the rumor-mongers rather than merely denying personal involvement and saying the information was on public records.

The incident is out of character for the Wilkinson we know. His track record and legacy of public service, which his opponents cannot match, still earns him the nod for another term.

■ Who can vote? All 296,000 voters in Lee County