HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10091984 - 2.4 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
• Contra
FROM: Phil Batchelor,
County Administrator Costa
DATE: October 4, 1984 County
SUBJECT: Establishment of a Centralized Billing and Collection Function
for the County to be known as the Office of Revenue Collection
SPECIFIC REQUESTS) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors implement a centralized
billing and collection function in order to maximize the efficient realita-
tion of revenues due the County. In order to establish this function, it
is recommended that the Board:
1. Approve establishment of a centralized billing and -/
collection function as a division of the Office of
the County Administrator, to be known as the Office
of Revenue Collection.
2. Approve the transfer of 11 permanent positions and
their related budgets and functions from the Public
Defense Cost Recovery Unit and the accounting group
(which are both in the Probation Department) to the
Office of the County Administrator to comprise the
initial staffing of the Office of Revenue Collection.
This transfer has the concurrence of the County
Probation Officer and has been discussed with the
affected employees and their representatives. (The
existing six temporary employees will also be
reappointed in the new department with no break in
employment. )
3. Establish the classification and allocate one
position of Director of Revenue Collection with a
five step salary range of $3305-$4018 per month in
the Office of Revenue Collection, and establish
additional positions as follows:
1 Management Analyst III ($2469-$3001)
1 Secretary - Journey Level ($1257-$1912)
1 Collection Services Assistant 1 ($1278-1553)
4. Introduce ordinance (amending the Ordinance Code)
exempting the classification of Director of Revenue
Collection from the County Merit System; waive
reading, and fix October 16, 1984 for adoption.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: XX YES SIGNATURE: &eltl-46 � j
-G}L RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION BOARD COMMITTEE
XX_APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S)
ACTION OF BOARD ON October 9, 1984 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT IV ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: All Department Heads ATTESTED 7/P_ /f,?4-/
County Administrator PHIL BATCHELOR, Clerk of the Board of
Supervisors and County Administrator
1
M382/7-e3 BY DEPUTY
A
2 .
5. Approve appropriation adjustments which reflect the
following transfers to establish the initial budget
of the Office of Revenue Collection:
$226 , 098 from Probation for the accounting group
149, 280 from the Public Defense Cost Recovery Unit
24 , 325 from Miscellaneous Properties for space costs
already budgeted
265, 000 from County funds no longer requried to
replace Special District Augmentation Fund
financing for the cost of the new positions,
_ additional office expense, and start-up cost
for the automated system (see detail on
Page 3) .
$664 , 703
REASONS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION
Currently, 19 County departments perform billing and/or collection activities
and in nearly all cases there is no formalized program for enforcing the
collection of delinquencies. This is resulting in duplicate efforts by
several departments, duplicate contacts with some debtors, and lost revenues
where civil remedies are not being pursued.
Centralizing the existing efforts will:
oAllow better use of automated billing and collection which
will reduce duplicate effort and increase revenue.
ePromote the development of greater collections expertise in
an organization with a single focus.
eImprove access to collection tools for which individual
departments are not staffed or equipped.
Finally, the County has an obligation to recover revenues properly owed, and
to maximize the County' s financial ability to meet the needs of County
residents.
BACKGROUND
The new Office of Revenue Collection will be a division of the Office of
the County Administrator. Staffing will include the transfer of 11
permanent positions and 6 temporary employees from the Probation Department,
plus the following 4 new positions:
Director of Revenue Collection - This position will be responsible
for formulating and implementing a comprehensive program of
servicing and collecting both receivable and delinquent accounts
of County departments, plus managing all activities of the
centralized revenue collection agency. This position is
recommended for exemption from the Merit System as a key
management position responsible for a specialized function.
Management Analyst III - This position will be responsible for
conducting complex studies regarding the transfer of virtually
every category of collectible revenue in the County from the
various line departments to the Office of Revenue Collection.
Those analyses will include evaluation of practices that will
maximize County revenues .
Secretary-Journey Level - This position will prepare reports, and
correspondence, and provide other secretarial support to the
Director and Analyst, plus assist with preparation of collection
letters and legal documents such as court filings and wage
attachments.
00154
r
3.
Collection Services Assistant I - This position is being added to
begin intensifying pursuit of civil remedies in the enforcement
of delinquent collections. The new workload will include
representing the County in obtaining small claims court judgments,
and obtaining the information necessary to prepare property liens,
wage attachments, and other civil actions.
In summary, the initial staffing for the Office of Revenue Collection will
be as follows:
Existing Positions - Permanent
2 Collection Services Assistant II
1 Supervising Account Clerk
1 Account Clerk III
5 Account Clerk II
1 Account Clerk II P. I.
1 Clerk - Experienced Level
11
Existing Staff - Temporary
1 Collection Services Assistant I
3 Account Clerk I
1 Clerk - Experienced Level
1 Clerk - Beginning Level
6
New Positions - Permanent
1 Director of Revenue Collection
1 Management Analyst III
1 Secretary-Journey Level
1 Collection Services Assistant I
4
Total Staffing: 15 permanent positions and 6 temporary employees .
Funding in the new Budget Unit 0026, Office of Revenue Collection, will be
comprised as follows:
$226 , 098 Transferred from the Probation Department, Budget Unit
0308, for the accounting staff who were transferred. *
149, 280 Transferred from the Probation Department, Budget Unit
0249 , for the Public Defense Cost Recovery Unit staff
who were transferred.
24, 325 Transferred from Miscellaneous Properties, Budget Unit
0077, for the cost of space to be occupied by the new
division in a County-owned building, the cost of which
had been previously budgeted.
265, 000 Transferred County funds no longer required to replace
Special District Augmentation Fund financing. This
amount will finance new expenses for this function as
follows:
$110, 932 - New positions (salaries and benefits) .
129, 730 - Expenses to replace the current manual
billing and collection system.
17, 000 - Remodeling of space necessary to
combine the new function and staff all
in one location.
7, 338 - Other forms, moving, equipment and
operational expenses .
$664, 703 2651000
00��5
4.
The initial goals of the Office of Revenue Collection will be to acquire
an automated billing and collection system, convert 11, 000 existing manual
accounts to that system by individually entering information on each one,
and to install procedures for obtaining court judgments and using other
civil collection remedies. By May 30, 1985 staff will have prepared for
the increased collection responsibilities which will be added immediately
following the conversion of the 11, 000 existing accounts .
Collectibles which will be handled immediately by the Office of Revenue
Collection are as follows: '
Budgeted
1983-1984 1984-1985
Work Program User Fees --- $42, 230
Adult Diversion Fee $27,500 30, 000
Restitution Fee 7, 000 81000
Installment Fine Fee 55, 000 57, 000
Bad Check Fee 800 1, 000
Superior Court Fines - Adult 29, 000 30, 000
Superior Court Fines - Juvenile 40 ,000 42, 000
Public Defense Repayments 138, 000 155, 000
Municipal Court Fines 1, 192, 380 1, 255, 000
Subtotal to General Fund $1, 489 , 680 $1, 590, 230
Restitution to Crime Victims $252, 232 $270 , 000
Penalty Assessments Paid to State
and Local Court Construction
Funds 261, 669 581, 488
TOTAL $2, 003,581 $2, 441, 718
Following establishment of the Office of Revenue Collection, we will examine
transferring collection of all or most County collectibles to the new office
as soon as possible. A partial list of such collectibles includes:
*Hospital bills .
*Welfare overpayments and loans.
*Fees for the cost of incarceration.
*Mental health bills.
*Bail bonds.
*Parental obligation for juvenile public defense reimbursement.
*Adult diversion program administrative fees.
*Family court services.
*Damage to County property.
*Checks returned due to insufficient funds .
*Overdue library books.
As noted above, in all or most of these areas a formalized program for
enforcing the collection of delinquencies is needed.
Revenues will not be maximized during 1984-1985, the first year of the new
Office of Revenue Collection, since the bulk of the remaining nine months
will be spent developing systems and procedures, hiring and training staff,
and spending several months manually entering the current information on
the existing 11, 000 accounts. A mid-year progress report will be prepared
to advise the Board of Supervisors of the status of efforts undertaken by
this new function as well as revised revenue projections .
During the 1985-1986 fiscal year it is expected that several thousand
additional accounts will be transferred to the Office of Revenue Collection
with resulting increases in revenues due to the application of intensified
and more expert collection methods. The specific types of collectibles to
be added and the order in which they are added will depend on the results of
future analysis to be performed this year by the analyst position added for
this purpose.
00lu6
5 .
Other counties, including Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Sacramento,
San Diego, and Fresno, have been very successful at recovering substantial
additional revenues using the practices and techniques planned for the new
Office of Revenue Collection. Those practices generally include:
c0btaining signed reimbursement agreements wherein individuals
promise to repay amounts due to the County, including interest
charges and collection costs for delinquent bills .
*Obtaining court judgments on amounts due which then provide the
basis for wage attachments, filing liens against persons and
property, and an interception of State income tax refunds .
•More collection of court fines by civil measure which will reduce
the level of County expenditures for the issuance and serving of
bench warrants, making arrests, and processing defendants through
the County' s detention facilities .
In addition, we will continue to explore the possibility of further recover-
ing County program costs in various ways including the installation of
allowable fees and charges for services.
0 0 IL 5, 1
a �
POSITION ADJUSTMENT REQUEST . " No. / 3
Date: 9/5/84
Dept. No./ Copers
Department County Administrator Budget Unit No. 0026 Org. No. 0026 Agency No.
Action Requested: Transfer persons and positions of Probation Dept. 0249 & 0308 to Count
Administrator Dept. 0026/002 as listed: Collections Services Asst. II pos. #30-507 (40/40) &
f37--5U87-32/40); Clerk-Ex . Level #30-254 (40/40— ; 5 Account Clerk II 's (40/40) #30-497 498
, 06; Account Clerk II P.I . 30-253; Account Proposed Effective Date: 10/1/84
er 0/40 #30-OOS and Supervising Account Clerk (40/40) 30-004.
Explain why adjustment is needed:
Classification Questionnaire attached: Yes No '
Estimated cost of adjustment: $
Cost is within department 's budget: Yes No []
If not within budget, use reverse side to explain how costs are to be funded.
Department must initiate necessary appropriation adjustment.
Use additional sheets for further explanations or comments.
for Departmen e d
Personnel Department Recommendation
Date: September 5, 1984
Transfer persons and positions of Probation Dept. (0249 & 0308) to Office of the County
Administrator (0026/0026) as listed:
2 Collections Services Assistant II Pos.#30-507 (40/40) & #30-508 (32/40), salary level
C5 1138 (1418-1723);
1 Clerk-Experienced Level #30-254 (40/40), salary level C5 0964 (1191-1448);
6 Account Clerk II 's #30-497, 4989 007, 008, 006 (40/40) and 30-253 (P.I.), salary level
C5 1080 (1338-1626);
1 Account Clerk III #30-005 (40/40), salary level C5 1175 (1471-1788); and
1 Supervising Account Clerk #30-004 (40/40), salary level C5 1267 (1613-1960) .
Amend Resolution 71/17 establishing positions and resolutions allocating classes to the
Basic/Exempt Salary Schedule, as described above.
Effective: p day following Board action.
10/1/84
Date for Director Per onnel
County Admini rator Recommendation
Date: /G,
pprove Recommendation of Director of Personnel
D Disapprove Recommendation of Director of Personnel 00 15
13 Other:
71
7
or County Administra or
Board of Supervisors Action ,t 1k
Adjustment APPROVED on ^'--- "'--k
Date: _�rT. 9 /f a'y By:
ri
APPROVAL OF THIS ADJUSTMENT CONSTITUTES A PERSONNEL/SALARY RESOLUTION AMENDMENT.
M3a7 AM
dl
POSITION ADJUSTMENT REQUEST No. 3
RECEIVED Date: 9/11/84
PERSONNEL 0EPA9if4.4T
Dept. No./ Copers. ,
Department County Administrator Budget Unit No. Z 0 Isin Agency No.
Action Requested: Add (1) position of Collection Services Assistant I, (1) position
of Secretary Dee class) , an osition of —Agit _".g_-4VA
—Proped-Effective Date: _ 10/i/s4
Explain why adjustment is needed New positions needed for the Office of
Revenue Collection.
Classification Questionnaire attached: Yes No
Estimated cost of adjustment: $
Cost is within department's budget: Yes 1D No
If not within budget, use reverse side to explain how costs are to be funded.
Department must initiate necessary appropriation adjustment.
Use additional sheets for further explanations or comments.
or) artmeAt Head
Personne l"Department Recommendation
Date: September 25, 1984
Classify 1 (40/40) Collection Services Assistant I position, salary level C5 1034
(1278-1553); 1 (40/40) Secretary-Journey Level , salary level T8 0943 (1257-1912) ;
and 1 (40/40) Management Analyst IIT, :sal'ary level ,C5 1693 (2469-30.01):
Amend Resolution 71/17 establishing positions and resolutions allocating classes to the
Basic/Exempt Salary Schedule, as described above.
Effective: p day following Board action.
10/1/84
Date for Director of r nnel
County Ad"min" Recommendation
Date: /0 • � '��/
Eff Approve Recommendation of Director of Personnel
[3 Disapprove Recommendation of Director of Personnel '
0 Other:
®� `''/111,;, `.
--------------
for County Administrator
xkz� f`L` ,
Board of Supervisors Action < ,,,,�
AdjustmentAPPROVED/ n 0-&� y /y ry
Date: ��c 1�.� 9r 19�f� By:
r
APPROVAL OF THIS ADJUSTMENT CONSTITUTES A PERSONNEL/SALARY RESOLUTION AMENDMENT.
M347 6/82