The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 08211990 - IO.4 I.O.-4 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra FROM: Internal Operations Committee Costa �.. ....,..: . " :a 'Y• y,40 DATE: August 13, 1990 County srd cGuK� cP SUBJECT: Proposed Response to the Report of the 1989-90 Grand Jury: "Contra Costa County Tax Collector" SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Adopt this report of our Committee as the Board of Supervisors' response to the Report of the 1989-90 Grand Jury: "Contra Costa County Tax Collector." 2. Remove this item as a referral to our Committee. BACKGROUND On June 11, 1990 the 1989-90 Grand Jury submitted the report entitled "Contra Costa County Tax Collector" which was subsequently referred to the Internal Operations Committee. On August 13, 1990 our Committee met to discuss the recommendations and review proposed responses. At the conclusion of these discussions we prepared the attached response utilizing a format suggested by a previous Grand Jury which requested that responses clearly specify: A. Whether the recommendation is accepted or adopted; B. If the recommendation is accepted, a statement as to who will be responsible for implementation and a definite target date; C. A delineation of constraints if a recommendation is accepted but cannot be implemented within the calendar year; and D. The reason for not adopting a recommendation. Responses to Grand Jury recommendations coming from our Committee will follow this format as closely as possible. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: -RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR _RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE I OTHER / w 'y SIGNATURE(S): Supervisor S. W. McPeak pervisor T. Powers ACTION OF BOARD ON Aupust l24, 1990 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER - VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT III, IV AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: County Administrator ATTESTED o20'. /990 Grand Jury Foreman PHIL BATA LOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF Tax Collector-Treasurer SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR �� • M382 (10/88) BY DEPUTY CONTRA COSTA COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR Recommendation No. 1 Ensure that funding will be available for the continuance of the lease purchase plan for replacement equipment in the Tax Collector's Office. Response A. This recommendation was adopted. B. Funding is provided in the Fiscal Year 1990-1991 Budget to continue the lease purchase of the Treasurer-Tax Collector's tax system equipment. A REPORT BY THE 1989-90 CONTRA COSTA COUNTY GRAND JURY 1020 Ward Street Martinez, CA 94553 (415) 646-2345 REPORT ON THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR APPROVED BY THE GRAND JURY: DATE v 9 % DON7ALG K GRAFOREMAN ACCEPTED F F LING: DATE: r_ NO SPELLBERG PREgInING JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT -107- I SECTION 933(c) OF THE CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE sec_ 933_ Findings and recommendations; com- ment of governing bodies, elective officers, or agency heads (c) No Iater than 90 days after the Viand jury submits a final report on the operations of any public agency subject to its reviewing authority, the governitl9 body of the public agency shall comment to the presiding judge of the superior court on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of the governing body, and every elective county officer or agency head for which the grand jury has responsioiiity pursuant to Section 914.1 shall comment within 60 days to the presiding judge of the superior court, with an information j copy sent to the board of supervisors, on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of that county officer or agency head and any agency or agencies which that officer or agency head supervises or controls. In any city and county, the mayor shall also comment on the findings and recommendations. All such comments and reports shall forthwith be submitted to the presiding judge of the superior court who impan- eled the grand jury. A copy of all responses to grand jury reports shall be placed on file with the clerk of the public agency and the office of the county clerk, or the mayor when applicable, and shall remain on file in those offices. One copy shall be placed on file with the applicable grand jury final report by, and in the control of the currently impaneled grand jury, where it shall be maintained for a minimum of five years. (Added by Scats.1961, e 1284, § 1. Amended by Scats 1963, c 674, § 1. S=1974, c 393, § 6; Stats 1974, a 1396, § 3; Stam 1977, c 107, § 6, Stam 1977, c 187, § 1; Stats 1980, c. 543, § 1: Stats 1981, c 203, § 1; Stau 1982, c 1408, § 5; Stats 1985, c 221, § 1; Stam 1987, c 690, § 1; Stats1988, c 1297, § 5.) Former § 933, added by Stats.1982, c. 1408. § 6, amended by Stats-1995.c 2-11,§ 2,operative Jan. 1. 1989,was repealed by Stats.1987, c. 690, § 2 Former § 933, added by Stats.1959, 501, § : was repealed by Stacs.1959. c. 1813, § 3. l -108- REPORT ON THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR SUMMARY Taxes are paid each year on 375,000 parcels of property, generating $521.8 million in revenue for county and city governments. Taxpayers have the option of paying their taxes semi-annually or annually. The processing of these property tax receipts is handled on obsolete equipment. It was evident that the equipment being used is inadequate and should be replaced. The staff of 23 in the Tax Collector's office is well supervised and operates efficiently under severe working conditions. High morale and excellent motivation were observed by the jurors. INTRODUCTION The 1989-90 Contra Costa Grand Jury conducted an investi- gation of the Tax Collector's office, at which time the members observed the procedures for processing the first installment payment of the real estate property taxes due on December 10, 1989 . FINDINGS 1. The 1990 population of Contra Costa County is close to 790 ,000 , and by the year 2000 it is projected to be 913 ,000. 2. Approximately 75 percent of the 375,000 secured property tax bills are paid in full by December 10th; the others are paid semi-annually. 3 . Seventy thousand unsecured property tax bills are paid in December of each year. 4 . Ninety thousand supplemental property tax bills are processed annually. 5. Twenty-five thousand delinquent payments are received annually. 6 . The number-one priority of the Tax Collector office each day is the prompt depositing of checks. Any delay in this procedure results in loss of interest income to the county. -109- 7. The keypunch card processing equipment used by the Tax Collector is antiquated and obsolete. Availability of parts is limited, since replacement parts are no longer being manufactured. 8. The office has 23 full-time employees. It annually employs 10 part-time persons, who are retired county employees, for the heavy ten-day processing period each December and April. r 9. The Tax Collector has identified a suitable system to !` replace the obsolete equipment and has made arrange- ments to acquire it in a lease-purchase arrangement. CONCLUSIONS The 1989-90 Contra Costa Grand Jury concludes that: 1. The projected population growth of Contra Costa County will increase the number of tax bills to be handled. The equipment now used for the recording of property tax collections will not handle the anticipated volume. 2. The staff and the Tax Collector' s office are to be commended for their diligence in pursuing a course of modernization, which will enhance their productivity in the future. RECOMMENDATION The 1989-90 Contra Costa Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors: 1. Ensure that funding will be available for the continu- ance of the lease purchase plan for replacement equip- ment in the Tax Collector' s office. I i r ' -110- office of Contra Costa Couniy • . COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR-TREASURER RECEIVED Contra Costa County AUG - 6 1990 Rooms 100- 101 Finance Building Mattinez, Califomis Office of County Administrator Date: August 2 , 1990 To: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator Attn: S. Tandy, Chief Assistant Administrator; From: Alfred P. Lomeli, Treasurer-Tax .Collector G` Response to Grand Jury Report Subject: Contra Costa County Tax Collector I would like to express my appreciation for the Grand Jury' s comments on my staff, office supervision, and operation. We have , for many years , operated with the obsolete equipment they observed because we could not find anything that matched it in speed and economy. As stated in the report, we have finally found suitable replacements. The lease-purchase of the equipment was funded and the equipment was delivered. The 1990-91 secured tax billing will be processed on the new equipment. The 1991-92 unsecured billing, mailed in May, 1991 , will also be processed on the new equipment. As we have done in the past, we will continue to serve our taxpayers in the most efficient and economical way we can find. APL/nlw 5-30