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HomeMy WebLinkAboutContract 37786Y' SECRETARY QI ONT€ XC7 NJO. § Agreement For The Collection Of Taxes COUNTY OF TARRANT § Agreement made this Lajday of , 2008, by and between the Tarrant County Tax Assessor/Collector, hereinafter referred to as ASSESSOR/COL 'CTOR, and Tarrant County, hereinafter referred to as the COUNTY, both of whom are addressed at 100 E. Weatherford Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76196-0301, and the City of Fort Worth, hereinafter referred to as City, whose address is 1000 Throckmorton St, Fort Worth, TX 76101-6311. PURPOSE OFAGREEMENT The purpose of this Agreement is to state the terms and conditions under which the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR will provide assessment and collection services of Ad Valorem taxes levied by the City. NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows: I. SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED The ASSESSOR'COLLECTOR agrees to bill and collect the taxes due and ovi,?�g-m taxable property upon which the City has imposed said taxes. The ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR shall perform the said services in the same manner and fashion as Tarrant County collects its own taxes due and owing on taxable property. The services performed are as follows: receiving the Certified Appraisal Roll from the appropriate Appraisal District and monthly changes thereto; providing mortgage companies, property owners and tax representatives, tax roll and payment data; providing all necessary assessments of taxes and Truth in Taxation calculations as required; the transmittal of tax statements via the U.S. Mail or electronic transfer of data; and payment processing. All City disbursements, made by check or by electronic transfer (wire or ACH), for collected tax accounts will be made to the City on the day the COUNTY Depository Bank indicates the mandatory assigned "float" period has elapsed and the funds are posted to the collected balance. If any daily collection total is less than one hundred dollars ($100.00), the disbursement may be withheld until the cumulative total of taxes collected for the City equals at least one hundred dollars ($100.00), or at the close of the month. ' II. REPORTS The ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR will provide the City the following reports, if requested: Daily: General Ledger Distribution Report Weekly: Detail Collection Report (Summary) Monthly: Tax Roll Summary (Totals Only) Year4o-Date Summary Report Detail Collection Report (Summary) Distribution Report (Summary) Delinquent Tax Attorney Tape Annual: Paid Tax Roll Delinquent Tax Roll Current Tax Roll A selection of the above listed Reports will only be available by Internet access. The ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR will provide the City the General Ledger Revenue &Expense Report monthly as required by Sec. 31.10 of the Texas Property Tax Code. Ill. COMPENSATION In consideration of the services to be performed by the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR compensation for the services rendered is a rate of sixty five cents ($.65) per account. The number of accounts will be based on the October billing roll certified to the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR by the Appraisal District. New accounts added by the appropriate Appraisal District will be billed to the entity. The ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR will invoice for all these accounts by January 15, 2009 with payment to be received from the City by February 15, 2009. The scope of services identified in this contract does not include the administration of a rollback election. In the event of a successful rollback election, these costs incurred by the Tarrant County Tax Office will be separately identified, billed, and paid by the entity. IV. AUDITS The ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR will provide to the City auditor necessary explanations of all reports and access to ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR in-house tax system computer terminals to assist the City auditor in verifying audit samples of the financial data previously provided by the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR during the past audit period. V. TAX RATE REQUIREMENT The City will provide the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR, in writing, the City's newly adopted tax rate and exemption schedule to be applied for assessing purposes by Friday, September 12, 2008. Under authority of Section 31.01 (h) of the Property Tax Code, any additional cost of printing and mailing tax statements because of late reporting of the tax rate or the exemption schedule will be charged to and must be paid by the City. If the City wishes its collection reports to be itemized as to maintenance and operation fund and interest and sinking fund, then the notice advising of the new tax rate must set out the separate rates, as well as the total rate. The tax rate and the exemption schedule for each of the last five (5) years in which an ad valorem tax was levied, or all prior years where there remains delinquent tax, must be furnished in writing to the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR at the time of the initial contract. Vr. COMPLIANCE WITHAPPLICABLE STATUTES, ORDINANCES, AND REGULATIONS In performing the services required under this Agreement, the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR shall comply with all applicable federal and state statutes, final Court orders and Comptroller regulations. If such compliance is impossible for reasons beyond its control, the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR shall immediately notify the City of that fact and the reasons therefore. VII. DEPOSIT OF FUNDS All funds collected by the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR in the performance of the services stated herein for the City shall be promptly transferred to the account of the City at the City's depository bank. All payments to entities will be made electronically either by the automated clearing house (ACH) or wire transfer. Wire transferred funds will incur an additional fee, which will be charged back to the City and deducted from those collected funds. The transfer fees charged will be the same fees charged to the County by its bank depository. If the City desires its tax disbursements to be made by wire transfer the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR has no liability for the funds after initiation of the wire transfer of the City's funds from the COUNTY Depository to the City's designated depository. VIII. INVESTMENT OF FUNDS The City hereby agrees that the COUNTY, acting through the COUNTY Auditor, may invest collected ad valorem tax funds of the City during the period between collection and payment. The COUNTY agrees that it will invest such funds in compliance with the Public Funds Investment Act. The COUNTY further agrees that it will pay to the City all interest or other earnings attributable to taxes owed to the City. All parties agree that this Agreement will not be construed to lengthen the time period during which the COUNTY or the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR may hold such funds before payment to the City. IX. REFUNDS Refunds will be made by the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR except as set forth herein. The ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR will advise the City of changes in the tax roll which were mandated by the appropriate Appraisal District. The ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR will not make refunds on prior year paid accounts unless the prior year paid accounts for the past five (5) years are provided to the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR. All refunds of overpayments or erroneous payments due, but not requested, and as described in Section 31.11 of the Texas Property Tax Code, will after three years from the date of payment, be proportionately disbursed to those entities contracting with the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR. The contract must have been in force, actual assessment and collection functions begun and the tax account was at the time of the over or erroneous payment within the City's jurisdiction. The proportional share is based upon the City's percent of the tax account's total levy assessed at the time of receipt of the over or erroneous payment. In the event any lawsuit regarding the collection of taxes provided for in this agreement to which City of Fort Worth is a party, is settled or a final judgment rendered, and which final judgment is not appealed, and the terms of such settlement agreement or fmal judgment require that a refund be issued by City of Fort Worth to the taxpayer, such refund shall be made by ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR by debiting funds collected by ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR on behalf of City of Fort Worth and remitting such refund to the taxpayer in conformity with the terms of the settlement agreement or final judgment. X. DELINQUENT COLLECTIONS The ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR will assess and collect the collection fee pursuant to Sections, 33.07, 33.08, 33.11 and 33.48 of the Property Tax Code, when allowed. The ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR will collect attorney fees that are specified by the City through written agreement with a delinquent collection Attoimey. The ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR will disburse the amount directly to the City for compensation to a Firm under contract to the City. If the delinquent collection Attorney contracted by the City requires attendance of ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR personnel at a court other than the District Courts in downtown Fort Worth, and the COUNTY is not a party, the employee's expenses and proportionate salary will be the responsibility of the City and will be added to the collection expenses and charged to the City. The ASSESSOR/COLLECTORwlll not be responsible for the collection of prior year delinquent accounts unless all delinquent accounts information is provided to the ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR. TERM OFAGREEMENT This Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereinabove set out, and shall continue in effect during the 2008 tax year, unless sooner terminated by providing sixty (60) day written notice, as outlined in paragraph XII. XII. NOTICES Any notices to be given hereunder by either parry to the other may be effected, in writing, either by personal delivery or by mail, registered or certified, postage prepaid with return receipt requested. Mailed notices shall be addressed to the address of the parties as they appear in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement, but each party may change this address by written notice in accordance with this paragraph. � 9 XIII. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS This instrument hereto contains the entire Agreement between the parties relating to the rights herein granted and obligations herein assumed. Any oral representations or modifications concerning this instrument shall be of no force or effect. This Agreement shall be construed under and in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, and all obligations of the parties created hereunder are performable in Tarrant County, Texas. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective legal representatives and successors. In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality, or enforceability shall not affect any other provision hereof and this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal, or unenforceable provisions had never been contained. This Agreement and the attachments hereto constitutes the sole and only agreement of the parties hereto and supersedes any prior understandings or written or oral agreements between the parties respecting the within subject matter. Executed e d y and year first above written, Tarrant County, Texas. B13U Y.• BET SYPRI DATE TAXAS S COLLECTOR T COUNTY Attested by* FOR THE IVITY OF FORT WORTH.• B YW4 r '4j Karen L. Montgomer DATE � 11 + ity Semtary Assistant City Manager/CFO FOR TARRANT COUNTY.• Contract Authoriaatioa BY• gl�ly� a216 ) D V B. GLEN WHITLEY DATE F' TARRANT COUNTYJUDGE *By law, the District Attorneys Office may only advise or approve contracts or legal documents on behalf of its clients. It may not advise or approve a contract or legal document on behalf of other parties. Our review of this document was conducted solely from the legal perspective of our client. Our approval of this document was offered solely for the benefit of our client. Other parties should not rely on this approval, and should seek review and approval by their own respective attorney(s). Page 1 of 2 � r • ,- . • . � • • . • DATE: Tuesday, August 05, 2008 LOG NAME: 13TARRANTCON082 REFERENCE NO.: **C-22953 SUBJECT: Correction to M&C C-22882 to Revise the City's Fiscal Obligation for the Collection Fee for Tarrant County and to Authorize Execution of an Agreement with Tarrant County Tax Assessor -Collector for Ad Valorem Tax Assessment and Collection Services for the 2008 Tax Year, Fiscal Year 2008, Covering the Period October 1, 2008, to September 30, 2009 RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council approve the correction of M&C C-22882 to revise the City's fiscal obligation for the collection fee for Tarrant County and to authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement between the Tarrant County Tax Assessor -Collector and the City of Fort Worth for providing assessment and collection services of ad valorem taxes levied by the City for the 2008 Tax Year, Fiscal Year 2008, covering the period October 1, 2008, to September 30, 2009. DISCUSSION: On July 8, 2008, City Council approved M&C C-22882 authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with Tarrant County Tax Assessor -Collector for assessment and collection services of ad valorem taxes levied by the City for the 2008 Tax Year (FY 2008-09) covering the period October 1, 2008, to September 30, 2009. M&C C-22882 capped the collection fee at $200,000.00. Although the City does not anticipate expenditure of more than $200,000.00, the cap on the collection fee is not feasible due to the potential variation of the number of accounts and the amount of fees. Therefore, it was decided to submit a corrected M&C to remove the cap. On March 28, 2007, the 80th Texas Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 1010 relating to the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of property located in more than one appraisal district and to the boundaries of an appraisal district. The bill went into effect January 2, 2008. Due to the increase of work and changes in operation caused by HB1010, Tarrant County's fee structure will increase from $.50 to $.65 per account. Based on the preliminary tax roll the cost for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 is estimated to be $188,500.00 for 290,000 accounts, an increase of approximately 35 percent over the current fee of $139,189.50. This agreement is the standard agreement that Tarrant County uses with all of the taxing entities for which it collects taxes. The terms of the agreement are the same as last fiscal year. FISCAL INFORMATION/CERTIFICATION: The Finance Director certifies that this action will have no material effect on City funds in Fiscal year 2008. Funding for the agreement will be requested in Fiscal Year 2009 General Fund Proposed Budget http://apps.cfwnet.org/council�acket/Reports/mc�rint.asp 10/15/2008 Page 2 of 2 submission to City Council. TO Fund/AccountlCenters Originating Department Head: Additional Information Contact: FROM Fund/Account/Centers GG01 539120 0134010 Karen Montgomery (6222) Lena Ellis (8517) Ruby Coleman (6630) �, :: �� �� http://apps.cfwnet.org/council�acket/Reports/mc�rint.asp 10/15/2008