SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 2074

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

             Government Operations, April 1, 1997

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

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

Sponsors:  Representatives Alexander, Wolfe and Gardner.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Government Operations:  4/1/97 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators McCaslin, Chair; Hale, Vice Chair; Anderson, Haugen, Horn and Patterson.

Staff:  Kathleen Healy (786-7403)

Background:  A number of provisions relating to the internal operations of counties require updating.

Summary of Amended Bill:  The language prescribing how the county auditor pays the county's superior court judges is updated to provide that the judges are paid by the auditor in the same manner as all other elected county officials are paid.

A county's appropriation account may, instead of shall, remain open for 30 to 60 days at the auditor's discretion in order to pay claims incurred prior to the close of the fiscal year.

The county legislative authority may adopt a resolution instead of an ordinance to deal with its budget concerns.  The county legislative authority may adopt an ordinance or a resolution providing for a biennial budget on a particular fund or funds, with a biennium review and modification for the second year of the biennium, while other funds remain on an annual budget.  Such ordinance or resolution may be repealed, and the county may revert back to an annual budget for the specific fund or funds at the end of the biennial budget.

If a county receives unanticipated funds from local, state or federal revenue sources, it may provide by ordinance or resolution a policy for supplemental appropriations.

The provision for additional limitations on road fund expenditures is repealed.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Technical amendments are made.  Some charter counties are required by their charter to adopt their budgets through ordinances, rather than resolutions, so language is added to allow a county to provide by resolution or ordinance a policy for supplemental appropriations.  Unanticipated funds may be received from state or federal sources, as well as local, so language is added to reflect this.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The bill is supported, as was the Senate companion bill.  It is a simple bill that cleans up archaic language and helps the auditors.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Representative Gary Alexander, prime sponsor; Les Brody, Thurston County Director of Finance; George Walk, Pierce County (pro).