SENATE BILL REPORT

                  ESB 5600

               As Passed Senate, March 14, 1997

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

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

Sponsors:  Senators Hale, Haugen and Johnson.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Government Operations:  2/18/97, 2/25/97 [DP].

Passed Senate, 3/14/97, 42-7.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  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 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 officials are paid.

A county's appropriation account may, instead of shall, remain open for 30 days 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  Such ordinance or resolution may be repealed, and the county may revert back to an annual budget for the specific fund or funds at the end of the biennial budget.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 revenue sources, it may provide by resolution a policy for supplemental appropriations.

Juvenile probation counselor and detention services are administered by the superior court, with three exceptions.  Another exception is added, allowing any county with a population of at least 250,000 but less than 500,000 prescribe for alternative administration of these services by ordinance.

The provision for additional limitations on road fund expenditures is repealed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This is a cleanup bill, which makes the auditor=s job easier.  It eliminates archaic language and provides some flexibility.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Les Brody, Dan Speagle, Financial Services, Thurston County.