Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: John L. Maltbie, County Manager
Subject: Transfer of the Office of Revenue Services
RECOMMENDATION:
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Introduction of an ordinance transferring the Office of Revenue Services from the Tax Collector-Treasurer to the Office of the County Manager, and waiving the reading of the ordinance in its entirety.
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BACKGROUND:
In 2006, the County undertook an organizational review to improve organizational structure and program effectiveness. As part of that review, a number of County departments were realigned, including the transfer of the Office of Revenue Services from the Department of Employee and Public Services (subsequently renamed the “Human Resources Department”) to the Office of the Tax Collector-Treasurer.
DISCUSSION:
The County Manager’s Office oversees many County divisions that provide cross-departmental services including Real Property, the Office of Sustainability and the newly created Community Engagement unit. The Office of Revenue Services also works with multiple County Departments which is why we are proposing to transfer oversight of this unit to the County Manager’s Office as we research consolidating all collections work done countywide.
An interim manager will be retained while the Office of Revenue Services is located within the County Manager’s Office. We are currently in discussions with a strong candidate and expect to make an appointment early next month. We will inform your Board through a memo next month and put an Appropriations Transfer Request (ATR) on an upcoming agenda to provide funding for this position.
While the interim manager is in place, we will contract with a management consulting firm to review revenue services operations, systems and practices and evaluation the countywide collections consolidation concept. The assessment report will include documentation of projected work load trends for Revenue Services, best practices and performance baselines from other public collection programs, recommendations on technology and collection tools, and recommendations on a collections structure for the county. The request for qualifications for this work has been issued by Purchasing and we expect to sign a contract for the assessment in mid-April.
We expect the consultant to complete their work in late summer or early fall. At that time, the County Manager will report back to your Board on recommendations for Revenue Services and bring forward any steps that require Board action.
The ordinance has been reviewed and approved by County Counsel as to form.
The ordinance will contribute to the Shared Vision 2025 of a Collaborative Community by ensuring that county collections services are operated efficiently and effectively.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no immediate fiscal impact associated with transferring the Office of Revenue Services to the County Manager’s Office. However, when final arrangements with the interim manager are complete, an ATR will come to the Board for consideration and there will also be funding needed for the consultant contract.