San Miguel County Treasurer Brandy Hatfield and county administrative staff described competing interpretations of the law governing treasurer collection fees at the board’s Oct. 29 special meeting. Hatfield said she believes statute requires a treasurer to charge fees on taxes and on other monies received “other than federal funds,” a reading that led her office to begin charging fees on several county mill levies starting Jan. 1, 2024. Administrative staff said they had previously left three county mill levies (general fund, public health/ human services and retirement) without an internal fee charge in order to avoid moving money from one county pocket into another and creating extra administrative transfers.

Commissioners were told that the disagreement concerns roughly 100 to 170 internal county accounting codes and whether they should be subject to the treasurer’s fee. The county’s finance director, Jared, and administrative staff said neighboring counties follow mixed approaches; some charge the internal fees while others do not. Hatfield said she followed advice from a treasurer seminar and plain reading of the statute when she implemented the charge in early 2024.

The board asked staff and the treasurer to convene with the county attorney and develop a written legal determination they can apply going forward. Commissioners said they prefer to minimize bookkeeping and internal transfers where statute permits while ensuring the county follows the law.

Ending: Staff committed to meet with the county attorney, reconcile the spreadsheet of accounts, and return with a written recommendation and proposed implementation plan for consistency and easier monthly reconciliation.