BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 546
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 17, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
K.H. "Katcho" Achadjian, Chair
AB 546 (Stone) - As Amended: March 19, 2013
SUBJECT : Local government: consolidation of offices.
SUMMARY : Authorizes the board of supervisors in Santa Cruz
County, by ordinance, to consolidate the duties of the offices
of Auditor-Controller and Treasurer-Tax Collector into the
elected office of Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector.
EXISTING LAW : Allows the board of supervisors in Mendocino
County, Sonoma County, Trinity County, and Tulare County, by
ordinance, to consolidate the duties of the offices of
Auditor-Controller and Treasurer-Tax Collector into the elected
office of Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS :
1)This bill allows the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors
(Board) to consolidate the duties of the offices of
Auditor-Controller and Treasurer-Tax Collector into the
elected office of Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector,
through an ordinance. This bill is sponsored by the author.
2)According to the author's office, "(AB 546 will) grant the
(Board) the flexibility to consolidate the departments of
Auditor-Controller and of Treasurer-Tax collector into the
elected office of Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector,
if a vacancy occurs."
3)Current law enumerates a number of county officers in addition
to the county board of supervisors. County supervisors can
adopt ordinances that consolidate many of these separate
offices. In addition, the Legislature has allowed specific
counties to consolidate other offices, most recently with SB
567 (Aanestad), Chapter 703, Statutes of 2008, which allows
Trinity County to combine the elected office of
Auditor-Controller with the elected position of Treasurer-Tax
Collector, and AB 1318 (Evans), Chapter 407, Statutes of 2005,
which grants the same authority to Sonoma County.
AB 546
Page 2
4)In a letter to the Board dated April 2, the Santa Cruz County
Treasurer communicates a desire to begin a conversation with
the Board, the County Administrative Office, County Counsel,
the Auditor-Controller, and the Assessor-Recorder regarding
the possible consolidation of the Treasurer-Tax Collector's
Office into the span of responsibility of the
Auditor-Controller. The letter recommends a timeline for
specified actions of the Board and associated offices, with
the goal of completing the consolidation before the opening of
filing for the 2014 election cycle. While consideration of
election timelines may be appropriate, the Committee may also
wish to consider whether this bill is premature given that the
Board has not yet taken an official position on this proposal.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Angela Mapp / L. GOV. / (916) 319-3958