Duties of the
Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for the receipt, management, disbursement,
financial reporting, bonds and investment of all monies paid to the County and
serves as agent for the State of Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa
Department of Revenue and Finance. The Treasurer compiles
composite reports from individual record books to general ledgers: reviews and
reconciles receipts, bills, and cash received to assure accuracy of figures to
prevent discrepancies and financial loss. In addition, the Treasurer
categorizes, indexes, files and deposits materials, forms and monies received to
assure public funds are administered properly. The Treasurer is
responsible for the proper receipt, accounting and disbursement of county funds
within proper policies established by the State of Iowa, Cass County Board of
Supervisors and corporate and unincorporated taxing entities for adequate
financial control. Financial Management
 Investment
of Revenues
Keep
accurate record of monies received and disbursed
Check
supporting data for all check and cash receipts from all county monies
Submit
accurate financial records for annual audit
Prepare
monthly reports
Prepare
reports throughout the year for the Cass County Board of Supervisors and State
Auditor
Consult
with members of the Investment Committee (various members of banking
institutions in Cass County)
Update
Investment Report annually if law changes
ACH
transfers of monthly tax payments
Send
monthly monies to the Iowa Department of
Transportation
Apportion
taxes to various entities
Collect
miscellaneous revenues from all county offices and departments
Real Estate Division
To
collect taxes certified for all real estate, mobile homes, special assessments,
utilities
Process
Iowa Property Tax Credit Claims for senior citizens or disabled persons
Pursue
collection of tax liens by ordinary lawsuit or by proceeding to the taking of
the tax sale deed
Prepare
for publishing a newspaper notice of tax sale,
Conduct
annual and adjourned tax sales
Send
notice of delinquent taxes to taxpayers with outstanding taxes as of February 1
Send
notice of annual tax sale no later than May 1,
Process
tax sale redemptions Motor Vehicle Division
License,
title, collect use tax and motor vehicle registrations in Cass County
Issue
duplicate, salvage, in lieu and in transit titles,
Record
and release security interests
Issue
junking certificates for vehicles that are dismantled or no longer operable
Prepare
reports for the Iowa Department of Transportation,
Process
refund claim forms
Issue
special license plates
Work
with Department of Transportation Investigators
Collection of Property Taxes
It is the Treasurer’s duty to collect all taxes, certified by the County
Auditor, which includes real estate, mobile homes, special assessments,
buildings on leased land, equipment assessed as real estate, utilities and grain
handlers . The County Auditor delivers tax lists of the various districts to the
Treasurer at the beginning of each fiscal year. Taxes are segregated in taxing
districts, and the amounts collected are apportioned to the various funds;
State, Area Schools, Ag Extension, Assessor/Appraiser, County, School, corporate
entities and townships. Property Tax Payments
Property taxes may be paid in two installments. The first half is due September
1 and becomes delinquent October 1; the second half is due March 1 and becomes
delinquent April 1.
Delinquent interest accrues at the rate of 1.5% per month, rounded to the
nearest dollar with a minimum of a dollar. Payments for
redemption from tax sale must be paid by guaranteed funds. The rate of interest
required by Iowa law to be paid in a redemption is 2% per month.
Notice of Delinquent Taxes
The law requires that a notice be sent to property owners who have outstanding
taxes as of February 1. The notification explains that under Iowa law, it is
important for property owners to pay taxes and special assessments when they are
due in order to avoid the tax sale.
Iowa law also requires that a notice of the annual tax sale shall be mailed not
later than May 1 to the person in whose name the parcel subject to sale is
taxed. In compliance with this law, a Delinquent Tax Statement and Tax Sale
Notice is mailed in April to provide proper notice of the pending tax sale.
Delinquent taxes as of May 1 are assessed a publication fee and must be
advertised for sale at the annual tax sale in June. Tax
Sale
The Annual Tax Sale is held the third Monday in June at 8:00 a.m. with an
adjourned sale scheduled for the third Monday of each subsequent month. Any
delinquency must be offered for sale at the Regular or Public Bidder Tax Sale.
Delinquent tax and/or special assessments advertised twice and remaining unsold
for want of bidders, must be offered for sale at the annual Public Bidder Sale.
Cass County is required by Iowa law to purchase the delinquencies if there is no
private sector bidder. Further, once a Certificate of Purchase at Tax Sale has
been issued to the County, the Treasurer has the authority to bring an ordinary
suit at law for the collection of taxes. |
