Dear Colleagues: It has been an interesting journey so far I guess you could say this is mid-term for me. Thank you again for allowing me to serve as your President for 2014-2015. I have truly experienced that working together we can really double the success! Legislative years are always interesting, and this one has certainly proven to not only to be interesting but also successful. I d like to take this opportunity to thank the membership of the legislative committee, especially Dolores Ortega Carter, Travis County Treasurer and past president, for representing us in Austin when needed. She also took a few bold steps in representing our association at the IGR committee hearings and most recently at the TAC Counties at the Capitol day where she addressed the abolishing issue. Since we have a new crop of treasurers, let me remind you that although Texas has 254 counties, nine (9) of those counties do not have an elected County Treasurer. Tarrant, Bexar and Collin County Treasurers positions were abolished during the 68 th legislature in 1983 and duties transferred to the County Clerk in 1984; Nueces County in 1987 and duties transferred in 1988. I m not sure about Gregg, Bee, Andrews, Fayette, and El Paso counties dates. If anyone out there can do some research and let me know those dates, I would truly appreciate it. This is for future reference in the event we need to know. Most of us were not around when these things happened. The State Treasurer s Office was abolished in 1995 and officially closed in 1996 and the duties moved to the State Comptroller s Office. So, the abolishment issue was there even before the State Treasury was abolished. I find this very interesting since it seems that every legislative session there is a move to abolish a County Treasurer s position somewhere in the state. Like I said, though, teamwork doubles the success. And as our illustrious Travis County Treasurer, Dolores Ortega-Carter, mentioned at the Counties at the Capitol Day, that by organizing and becoming active in the legislative process and making our association accountable to our state representatives and senators by furthering our continuing education, we have been able to stop any further abolishment bills dead in their tracks! Of course, politics could play a role in the future as we cannot predict the political climate in all counties. So, will continue to rely on your input from your respective counties. Again, thank you to all those that have stepped up to the plate for our association not only County Treasurers, but our respective State Representative and Senators. A special thank you to Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., who happens to be my Senator, for sponsoring and passing SB 435 in the senate as it relates to duties of the County Treasurer. Looking forward to smooth sailing through the rest of my tenure as president. Please continue to do your jobs with pride and accountability to our taxpayers. Please let me know if I can be of assistance to you in any way. Best regards, David A. Betancourt President 2014-2015 County Treasurer s Association of Texas
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The Senate passed Senator Lucio s County Bill SB 425 which will allow the Treasurers to administer the oath of office and allow them to begin their continuing education after being elected. Senator Hinojosa co-authored SB 435. HB 2522 which is the companion to SB 425 was filed on March 6 th and is waiting for a hearing to be scheduled. More updates of the 84 th Legislative Session moves forward and at the Treasurer s Seminar in San Marcos on April 20 th 23 rd. Page 3
2014 OUTSTANDING TREASURER NAMED Congratulations to Midland County Treasurer, Mitzi Wohleking for being named the 2014 Outstanding County Treasurer. After serving Midland County since 1989 in another capacity as Administrative Assistant, Mitzi was elected County Treasurer in November of 2004. Mitzi has been the Chairman of the Audit Committee for C.T.A.T. since 2011 auditing the bank reconciliation each month and doing a complete audit of the Association s books at each Conference. Mitzi is also currently serving on The Senate HB 2522 which is the companion to SB 425 was filed on March 6 th and is waiting for a hearing to be scheduled. the New Treasurers Orientation Committee and the Nominating Committee for C.T.A.T. She has also served C.T.A.T. as Regional Director for Region 3 for two terms, served on the Long Range Planning Committee, the Fundraising Committee, and the Directory Committee, and Chaired the Education Committee in 2011. CONGRATULATIONS MITZI!!! Each of us can look back upon someone who made a great difference in our lives, someone whose wisdom or simple acts of caring made an impression upon us. In all likelihood it was someone who sought no recognition for their deed other than the joy of knowing that, by their hand, another s life had been made better, -- Stephen M. Wolf Page 4
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REGION DIRECTORS Important E-Mail and Web Addresses: REGION 1, Glenna Cannada Randall County REGION 2, Michael Lord, Jr. Gaines County REGION 3, Carolyn Huelster Irion County REGION 4, Barry McCallister Pecos County REGION 5, Kim Gibby Jackson County REGION 6, Shawn Walston Concho County SECTOR DIRECTORS SECTOR 1, Traci Butler King County SECTOR 2, Kathy Davis Hood County REGION 7, Billie Reeves Bandera County REGION 8, Pricilla A. Cantu Kleberg County REGION 9, Teri Pruitt Van Zandt County REGION 10, Patsy J. Lassiter Cherokee County REGION 11, Melinda Lyndy Krause Lee County REGION 12, Mary Horton Jackson County SECTOR 3, Lori Rangel-Pompa Caldwell County SECTOR 4, (At Large) Norma G. Garcia - Hidalgo County Hidalgo County County Treasurer s Web Site www.ctatx.org Treasurer s List Serve tac-tre@list.county.org List Serve Sign Up joleen@co.jefferson.tx.us Texas Association of Counties www.county.org Texas State Government www.texas.gov Local Government Code www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes Treasury Notes Editor jan.hartl@co.wilson.tx.us Internal Revenue Service www.irs.gov Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow Anon Department of Labor www.dol.gov Page 8
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2014-2015 OFFICERS Congratulations to David Betancourt, Cameron County Treasurer on his new position as the President. We support you and we are behind you! Congratulations to the Officers: President-Elect: First Vice President: Second Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: Immediate Past President: Renee Couch Tim Funchess Cheryl Chambers Zulema E. Rodriguez Becky S. Buford Kelli Smith You don t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great. --- Les Brown Page 9
43 rd Annual County Treasurers Continuing Education Seminar April 20-23 2015 - San Marcos, Texas Embassy Suites San Marcos Hotel Visit our website at www.county.org for program updates. 1:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. SEMINAR REGISTRATION 1:00 p.m. Legislative Committee Meeting 2:00 p.m. Fundraising Committee Meeting 2:30 p.m. Education Committee Meeting 3:30 p.m. Board Meeting 7:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. SEMINAR REGISTRATION 7:30 a.m. 8:00 a.m. Morning Coffee 8:00 a.m. 8:10 a.m. Welcome, Call to Order, Pledges, Introduction of Officers, & Announcements 8:10 a.m. 9:00 a.m. The Mayberry Method Don t Barney Fife Your Way Through Life 9:00 a.m. 9:50 a.m. Counterfeit Money 9:50 a.m. 10:10 a.m. Break With Exhibitors 10:10 a.m. 11:00 a.m. How to Find Answers Quickly: Researching Law, Opinion and More 11:00 a.m.-11:50 a.m. State Court Costs and Fees What s New 11:50 a.m. 1:20 p.m. LUNCH ON YOUR OWN 1:20 p.m. 2:10 p.m. Certificate of Deposits from an Investment Manager Point of View 2:10 p.m. 3:00 p.m. Maximizing Investments in a Changing Interest Rate Environment 3:00 p.m. 3:20 p.m. Break With Exhibitors 3:20 p.m. 4:10 p.m. What You Need to Know About EFile Texas 4:10 p.m. 5:00 p.m. Regional Disaster Finance Coordination Program 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Welcome & Reception & Silent Auction Spring Lake Ballroom REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR SILENT AUCTION ITEM Drop off silent auction by 5:00 p.m. Last bidding at 7:00 p.m. SUPPORT BY BRINGING SILENT AUCTION ITEMS TO THE CONFERENCE THIS IS THE BIGGEST FUNDRAISING EVENT OF THE YEAR BRING SOMETHING WARM TO WEAR CLASSES CAN BE COOL Page 10
7:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. SEMINAR REGISTRATION 7:30 a.m. 8:00 a.m. Morning Coffee 8:00 a.m. 8:50 a.m. External Auditor 8:50 a.m. 9:40 a.m. Best Practices Panel Discussion 9:40 a.m. 10:00 a.m. Break With Exhibitors 10:00 a.m. 11:40 a.m. Roundtable Discussions 11:40 a.m. - 1:10 p.m. Treasurer of the Year Nominees & Scholarship Recipient Announcements & Luncheon 1:20 p.m. 2:10 p.m. $$$ Depository Contracts and Valuing Collateral 2:10 p.m. 3:00 p.m. $$$ Exactly the Same, Only Different 3:00 p.m. 3:20 p.m. Break With Exhibitors 3:20 p.m. 4:10 p.m. Budgeting in County Budget 4:10 p.m. 5:00 p.m. Human Resource Trend 7:30 a.m. 11 a.m. SEMINAR REGISTRATION 7:30 a.m. 8:00 a.m. Morning Coffee 8:00 a.m. 8:50 a.m. Legislative Update 8:50 a.m. 9:40 a.m. $$$$ Economic Update 9:40 a.m. -10:00 a.m. Break 10:00 a.m. 10:50 a.m. Decreasing the Hassle Factor; Positive Pay and Other Fraud Prevention Tools 10:50 a.m. 10:40 a.m. Health Care Reform Update 11:00 a.m. 11:50 a.m. Closing Remarks & Adjourn LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP AWARD RECEIPANTS Page 11
County Treasurer s Association of Texas Honorable Jan Hartl Wilson County Treasurer 1420 Third Street Floresville, Texas 78114 2014-2015 SLATE OF OFFICERS President: David Betancourt, Cameron County President-Elect: Renee Couch, Comal County First Vice President: Tim Funchess, Jefferson County Second Vice President: Cheryl Chambers, Ellis County Secretary Zulema E. Rodriguez, Reeves County Treasurer Becky S. Buford, Wood County Immediate Past President Kelli White, Smith County