HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2074

                       As Passed House

                       March 15, 1997

Title:  An act relating to internal matters for the operation of counties.

Brief Description:  Making changes to the internal operations of counties.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Government Administration (originally sponsored by  Representatives Alexander, Wolfe and Gardner).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Government Administration:  3/5/97 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/15/97, 96‑0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 13 members:  Representatives D. Schmidt, Chairman; D. Sommers, Vice Chairman; Scott, Ranking Minority Member; Gardner, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Doumit; Dunn; Dunshee; Murray; Reams; Smith; L. Thomas; Wensman and Wolfe.

Staff:  Michael Spiro (786-5793).

Background:  A county may pay two times per month the salaries of all of its officers and employees. The salary of a superior court judge, however, may be paid only once a month, and it may not be paid until that judge has disposed of all causes that remain pending and undecided in his or her court. 

All county budget appropriations lapse at the end of the fiscal year, except that all appropriation accounts are to remain open for a period of 30 days after the fiscal year ends for the payment of claims incurred against such appropriations prior to the close of the fiscal year. 

In lieu of adopting an annual budget, a county legislative authority may adopt an ordinance providing for biennial budgets for all county funds with a mid-biennium review and modification for the second year of the biennium. 

Upon a resolution formally adopted by a county board of commissioners at a regular or special meeting, supplemental appropriations to the county budget from unanticipated federal or state funds may be made.  A county board of commissioners may also adopt a resolution authorizing the expenditure of money when a public emergency, which could not have been foreseen at the time of making the budget, requires such an expenditure. 

Every county official is limited in the making of expenditures or the incurring of liabilities to the amount of the appropriation items or classes as finally fixed and adopted by the board of county commissioners for a county for the fiscal year.  Except in certain public emergencies, additional limits are placed on expenditures made or liabilities incurred from the county road fund. 

Summary of Bill:  The county auditor of each county must pay superior court judges in the same means and manner provided for all other elected county officials. 

All county budget appropriations lapse at the end of the fiscal year, except that all appropriation accounts may remain open for a period of 30 days, and may, at the auditor=s discretion, remain open for a period not to exceed 60 days after the fiscal year ends to pay claims incurred against such appropriations prior to the close of the fiscal year. 

In lieu of adopting an annual or biennial budget for all county funds, a county legislative authority may adopt an ordinance or resolution providing for a biennial budget for any one or more of the funds of a county in the same manner as it adopts a biennial budget for all county funds. 

In addition to the supplemental appropriations and emergency expenditures that may be made by a county legislative authority, the county legislative authority may provide by resolution a policy for supplemental appropriations as a result of unanticipated funds from local revenue sources. 

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This is a house cleaning bill which tries to clean up archaic language.  It will both streamline and make more efficient county government processes. 

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Alexander, prime sponsor; Sam Reed, Washington State Association of County Auditors; and Les Brodie, Thurston County Financial Services Manager.