MIN CHC 2010-03-12.tif - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

CHR. HAITSUKA: Thank you. Ms. Kawauchi. Ms. Kawauchi moved to amend the last sentence in subsection (a) of CA -15 to read, "Deposits to the fund will occur at a minimum of twice a year, but directly after the majority of the taxes have been collected, and no later than March and again in September of each fiscal year after the tax collection due dates." Seconded by Ms. Jarman. CHR. HAITSUKA: Is there any discussion? Ms. Jarman. MS. JARMAN: I have a question; could Nancy Crawford come forward? I've been on the Commission long enough with Alapaki to now have these thoughts come to my mind about how specific to get. I seconded it because I think it is an important issue; but what I worry about is that this is a Charter amendment, and how long have we had in this county the tax collections being essentially February and August, when the tax bills are due, and what are the chances of that changing? I would hate for us to put in March and September if that were to change; but I totally understand the point that Commissioner Kawauchi is making. NANCY CRAWFORD (At this time Nancy Crawford, Finance Director, came forward to address members of the Charter Commission.) MS. CRAWFORD: I can't tell you how long it has been. It's probably for as long as this has been in the County's hands, and perhaps before that, in the State. I'm not sure that it is likely; we don't have plans to change it, but it certainly could. In general, I think it's better to be less specific in the Charter, because it does allow for that flexibility, if something else should change. We felt that having the language that said, "... directly after the majority of the taxes have been collected..." which is twice a year. Although, I would say it is in September and again in March; if you are looking at the fiscal year, the first payment is collected in September. My recommendation would be not to tie it down to those months. MS. JARMAN: If you were to interpret this the way it is without the proposed amendment, "...directly after the majority of taxes have been collected..." and assuming the system doesn't change, when would the deposits be made? MS. CRAWFORD: In the months that you have mentioned. Our first tax collection comes in near the end of August, and it takes a while for those all to be posted; and so the first transfer would be sometime in September. One of the reasons we didn't want to pin it down too much, as much as it currently reads in the County Code; does not benefit the land fund. This is more beneficial, because instead of waiting until December to transfer, we would transfer it right after our majority collections. Then we also have the freedom to make another transfer, as it goes around the year, we would at least, at a minimum, do 11