BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                AB 546
                                                                Page  1


        ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
        AB 546 (Stone)
        As Amended  March 19, 2013
        Majority vote 

         LOCAL GOVERNMENT    9-0                                         
         
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        |Ayes:|Achadjian, Levine, Alejo, |     |                          |
        |     |Bradford, Gordon,         |     |                          |
        |     |Melendez, Mullin,         |     |                          |
        |     |Waldron, Atkins           |     |                          |
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        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  :  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.  

        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."

        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  








                                                               AB 546
                                                                Page  2


        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.

        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 Legislature may also  
        wish to consider whether this bill is premature given that the Board  
        has not yet taken an official position on this proposal.
         

        Analysis Prepared by  :    Angela Mapp / L. GOV. / (916) 319-3958 FN:  
        0000230