Title: An act relating to modifying county treasurer administrative provisions.

Brief Description: Modifying county treasurer administrative provisions.

Sponsors: By Representatives Takko, Alexander, Curtis, Williams and Moeller.

Brief History:

Local Government: 2/6/07 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 2/21/07, 96-0.
Senate Amended.
Passed Senate: 4/10/07, 49-0.
House Concurred.
Passed House: 4/14/07, 93-1.
Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 7 members: Representatives Simpson, Chair; Eddy, Vice Chair; Curtis, Ranking Minority Member; Schindler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Ross, B. Sullivan and Takko.

Staff: Thamas Osborn (786-7129).

Background:

General Authority and Duties of County Treasurers.
County treasurers operate under the authority of various state statutes relating to the receipt, processing, and disbursement of funds. County treasurers are the custodian of the county's money and the administrator of the county's financial transactions. In addition to his or her duties relating to county functions, the county treasurers provide financial services to special purpose districts and other units of local government, including receipt, disbursement, investment, and accounting of the funds of each of these entities. County treasurers are responsible for the collection of various taxes, including legal proceedings to collect past due amounts, and other miscellaneous duties, such as conducting bond sales and sales of surplus county property.

County Treasurer's Duties Regarding Payments out of a "Metropolitan Park District Fund."
A board of commissioners of a metropolitan park district is authorized to levy taxes on all property located in a park district. In levying such taxes, a board is also authorized to include a sufficient sum to pay interest on all outstanding bonds and may include an amount for the creation of a fund for the redemption of outstanding bonds. The county treasurer is required to maintain a separate fund for the proceeds of the general park district tax levy to be known as the "Metropolitan Park District Fund" and which must be paid out with warrants.

County treasurers are subject to specific statutory requirements with respect to using warrants in making payments out of public funds. Also, a treasurer has the option of making payments from public funds by means of wire or other electronic methods in accordance with specified accounting standards.

Tax Title Lands.
Tax title lands are those lands acquired by a county at a tax foreclosure sale. The legislative authority of each county is granted specified powers with respect to such lands, including the authority to:

• devote such lands to public use;
• exchange such lands for other lands worth at least 90 percent of the value of the land    exchanged; and
• manage such land in order to produce revenue.

Tax title lands deeded to a county must be stricken from the tax rolls and are exempt from taxation for so long as the county has the property.

Liens Related to Delinquent Payment of Storm Water Service Charges.
Counties are authorized to obtain liens on real property for delinquent service charges, including interest, related to storm water control facilities.

Summary of Bill:

County Treasurer's Duties Regarding Payments out of a "Metropolitan Park District Fund."
A county treasurer's payments from a "Metropolitan Park District Fund" must be made either: (1)   by warrants issued in accordance with specified statutory guidelines for such payments; or
(2)   by means of wire or other electronic means in accordance with specified accounting standards.

Tax Title Lands.
Title to property obtained by a county at a tax foreclosure sale must be held in trust for the taxing districts. Property owner association dues or fees may not be imposed on tax title lands held in trust by a county, nor may most types of special assessments. However, the act exempts the following types of "special assessments" from this general prohibition:

• local improvement district assessments;
• utility local improvement district assessments; and
• assessments levied by specified categories of special improvement districts.

County Authority to Obtain Specified Liens.
In addition to liens currently authorized with respect to charges related to storm water control facilities, a county is authorized to obtain real property liens for the delinquent payment of charges related to the acquisition, development, or improvement of open spaces, parks, recreation areas, specified public facilities, and highways.

Types of Property Subject to Accelerated Tax Payment or Seizure.
Mobile homes, manufactured homes, and park model trailers are explicitly included among the types of personal property that may be subject to an accelerated demand for tax payment, or possible seizure, if taxes on such property are delinquent and the treasurer has reasonable grounds to believe that such property is about to be removed from the county, destroyed, sold, or disposed of.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This is a good, technical bill that makes some necessary changes to statues pertaining to county treasurers.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Takko.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.