Article 5. Warrants of California Education Code >> Division 7. >> Title 3. >> Part 50. >> Chapter 8. >> Article 5.

In any county, the county superintendent of schools, the county board of education and the county auditor, may prescribe a payroll procedure, to be followed by designated community college districts in the county, under which the community college district governing boards, by use of payroll orders, shall authorize and direct the county superintendent of schools and the county auditor to draw separate payroll warrants in the names of the individual district employees for the respective amounts set forth therein to the end that each employee may be furnished with a statement of the amount earned and an itemization of the amounts withheld therefrom under requirements of the law or by direction of the employee. Such payroll warrants shall show the closing date of the pay period for which issued and the date of issue and a statement that it is drawn by order of the governing board of the district and shall bear the signature of the county auditor. To obtain the advantage of a uniform pay period and pay date within districts, the payroll procedure may specify the ending date of the pay period and, notwithstanding Sections 87821 and 85244, the date of issue for payroll warrants, except that the issue date shall be on or before the 10th calendar day following the end of the pay period. The payroll procedure may provide for salary payments, including salary advances, more frequently than once a month. The payroll procedure may provide for payroll orders authorizing salary payments to individual employees on a continuing basis until such time as notifications of changes or adjustments are submitted by the community college districts, provided that an itemized listing of payments made under this procedure is furnished to the community college district on or before the date of issue of the payroll warrants. The payroll order may direct the transfer from the districts' funds to a clearing fund in the county treasury, to be known as the schools payroll revolving fund, of the total of the amount of the payroll warrants to be issued under the order to the end that payroll warrants for all districts may be drawn against a single revolving fund. The payroll order may further direct the transfer from the districts' funds of the totals of the various deductions set forth therein to the trust funds in the county treasury entitled to receive credit for them and may further direct the proper disbursement of such trust amounts. When the payroll procedure provides for payment of salary once each month the payment shall be made on the last working day of the month as required by Section 88165.

A payroll clearance fund for the purpose of consolidating and balancing payroll deductions and other payroll accounting purposes for one or more community college district employees whose salary is paid from one or more funds, may be established by the governing board of the community college district or, if the district operates under the payroll procedure set forth in Section 85260, by the county superintendent of schools.

(a) In a county in which the board of supervisors has transferred educational functions to the county board of education pursuant to Section 1080, and a single budget has been authorized for the purposes of the county school service fund, county board of education, county committee on school district organization, and the office of the county superintendent of schools pursuant to Sections 1620 to 1625, inclusive, the duties of the county auditor specified in Article 4 (commencing with Section 85230) and this article shall be performed by the county superintendent of schools.
  (b) A listing of all warrants approved and allowed by the county superintendent of schools pursuant to this section shall be forwarded to the county auditor on the same day the warrants are forwarded to the district or the payee. The form of the warrant and the form and content of the warrant listing shall be as prescribed by the county auditor.
  (c) Notwithstanding Section 27005 of the Government Code, or any other section requiring orders for warrants or warrants to be signed by the county auditor, the county treasurer in counties subject to this section shall pay warrants that are signed by the county superintendent of schools, and the county auditor shall not be liable under his or her bond or otherwise for any warrant issued pursuant to this section.
  (d) This section shall apply only in those counties in which the county board of supervisors has adopted its provisions by resolution.

With the approval of the county superintendent of schools, the governing board of a community college district may cause warrants to be drawn on the county treasury against designated funds, except debt service, of the district in the county treasury in the payment of expenses of the district. The warrants for salary and other types of claims designated by the county superintendent shall be issued by a person designated as the district disbursing officer for the school district on the county treasury in favor of the persons entitled thereto in payment of all claims in designated categories chargeable against the district which have been legally examined, allowed, and ordered paid by the governing board. The district disbursing officer shall issue warrants, using procedures prescribed by the county auditor, on the county treasury for all debts and demands, within categories designated by the county superintendent, against the district when amounts are legally approved. The form of the warrant shall be prescribed by, and approved by, the county auditor or county treasurer having jurisdiction. The cost of printing warrants may be charged to the district. Notwithstanding Section 84000, except for assessing and tax collecting, the county auditor and county treasurer may charge those districts that draw their own warrants for additional costs which result from the implementation of this section. Notwithstanding Section 27005 of the Government Code, or any other provision of law requiring orders for warrants or warrants to be signed by the county superintendent of schools or the county auditor, or both, the county superintendent and county auditor may prescribe alternative procedures for districts to issue warrants. The district disbursing officer shall not be considered a deputy county superintendent of schools or a deputy county auditor. The county treasurer shall pay the warrant in the designated category, if district funds are available. County officers shall not be responsible for providing reports, statements, or other data relating to, or based on, the designated payments of expenses of the district. Those districts issuing warrants, as provided by this section, shall provide the county superintendent of schools, in the form prescribed by the county superintendent, with the data necessary to make retirement reports and other reports required of him or her by law. All warrants, vouchers, and supporting documents shall be kept by school districts that draw their own warrants in those designated categories. The county superintendent shall provide for a periodic review of the districts' financial transactions and internal controls pursuant to Section 85237.5. County superintendents of schools may provide fiscal, budgetary, and data-processing services through contractual agreements to community college districts that have been determined to be fiscally accountable under the provisions of this section. The person authorized by the governing board of the district to issue warrants, pursuant to this section, shall execute an official bond in an amount fixed by the governing board conditioned upon the faithful performance of his or her duties under this section. A county superintendent or county auditor shall not be liable under the terms of their bonds or otherwise for any warrant issued pursuant to this section. This section shall not be construed as impairing the obligation of any contract in the bond of such officer in effect on January 1, 1977. A listing of the warrants issued under this section by each community college district shall be forwarded to the county auditor having jurisdiction, upon his or her request, and to the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction over the district on the same day warrants are issued. The listing, which may be magnetic tape, punched cards, or in other form, shall report, among other things, the warrant number, date of the warrant, amount of the warrant, the name of the payee, and the fund on which drawn. The form and content of the warrant listing shall be as prescribed by the county auditor or county superintendent and approved by the county auditor or county superintendent having jurisdiction. Each district which issues warrants pursuant to this section shall furnish monthly to the county superintendent of schools and the county auditor of the county of jurisdiction, upon his or her request, a statement showing for the current fiscal year to date, for each required expenditure classification, the amount budgeted, actual expenditures, encumbrances and unencumbered balances. In order to obtain the approval of the county superintendent of schools and county auditor for fiscally accountable status, the governing board of a community college district shall file a written application with the county superintendent of schools and county auditor having jurisdiction on forms which the county superintendent shall prescribe. Upon receipt of an application from the district, the county superintendent shall cause an audit to be made of the district's management and accounting controls, in accordance with standards prescribed by him or her, by an independent certified public accountant or public accountant approved by the county superintendent, who shall report his or her findings and recommendations to the county superintendent and to the applicant district. The audit report may include Department of Finance guidelines and other assessments of fiscal management as required by the county superintendent or the audit may be the report of the annual district audit pursuant to Section 84040 if that is acceptable to the county superintendent of schools. The cost of the audit required in support of a district's application for fiscal accountability shall be borne by the applicant district. The county superintendent and county auditor shall review the district's application and report of financial management and control and may approve the application if they find the management and accounting controls of the district to be adequate. If the county superintendent and county auditor determine that such management and accounting controls are inadequate, they shall disapprove the application. A district that applies for fiscal accountability status shall file its written application with the county superintendent of schools on or before September 1. The required audit of financial management and accounting controls shall be filed on or before January 1. When a district's application for fiscal accountability status has been approved by the county superintendent of schools and county auditor, the issuance of warrants by the district pursuant to this section shall be effective at the beginning of a fiscal year, provided that approval had been made prior to the preceding first day in March. If disapproved, the county superintendent of schools shall state the specific steps which are required to be taken by the applicant district to receive approval and these changes shall be certified as completed by an independent certified public accountant or public accountant before the county superintendent shall approve the application. If at any time the county superintendent of schools or the county auditor determines that the financial management or accounting controls of the district have become inadequate, either officer may revoke approval for fiscal accountability status effective immediately.

(a) With the approval of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the governing board of a community college district may cause to be drawn all warrants on the county treasurer against all the funds, except debt service, of the district in the county treasury in the payment of the expenses of the district. The warrants shall be issued by a person designated as the district auditor or district disbursing officer for the district on the county treasurer in favor of the persons entitled thereto in payment of all claims chargeable against the districts which have been legally examined, allowed, and ordered paid by the governing board. The district auditor shall issue warrants on the county treasurer for all debts and demands against the district when the amounts are fixed by law. The form of the warrant shall be as prescribed by the governing board and approved by the county auditor or county treasurer.
  (b) Notwithstanding Section 85231, the cost of printing the warrants shall be borne by the district.
  (c) No county officer shall be responsible for producing reports, statements, and other data relating to or based on these payments of the expenses of the districts. Those districts issuing warrants as provided by this section shall provide the county superintendent of schools, in the form prescribed by him or her, with the data necessary to make retirement reports and other reports required of him or her by law. All warrants, vouchers, and supporting documents shall be kept by the districts that draw their own warrants.
  (d) Notwithstanding Section 27005 of the Government Code, or any other section requiring orders for warrants or warrants to be signed by the county superintendent of schools or the county auditor, or both, the county treasurer shall pay the warrant, if money is available.
  (e) Notwithstanding Section 84000, except for assessing and tax collecting, the county auditor and the county treasurer may charge those districts that draw their own warrants, and those districts shall pay, for the cost of all fiscal services.
  (f) The person authorized by the governing board of the district to issue warrants pursuant to this section shall execute an official bond in an amount fixed by the governing board conditioned upon the faithful performance of his or her duties under this section. A county superintendent of schools or a county auditor shall not be liable under the terms of his or her bond or otherwise for any warrant issued pursuant to this section. It is not intended that this provision shall be applied so as to impair the obligation of any contract in the bond of the officer in effect on the effective date of this section.
  (g) A listing of the warrants issued under this section by each district shall be forwarded to the county auditor, upon his or her request, and to the county superintendent of schools on the same day warrants are issued. The listing, which may be magnetic tape, punch cards, or in other form, shall report, among other things, the warrant number, date of the warrant, amount of the warrant, the name of the payee, and the fund on which drawn.
  (h) The form and content of the warrant listing shall be as prescribed by the governing board and approved by the county auditor.
  (i) Each district which issues warrants pursuant to this section shall furnish monthly to the county superintendent of schools and the county auditor of the county of jurisdiction, upon his or her request, a statement showing the current fiscal year to date, for each required expenditure classification, the amount budgeted, actual expenditures, encumbrances and unencumbered balances.
  (j) In order to obtain the approval of the board of governors, a community college district shall file a written application with the county superintendent of schools. Upon receipt of an application from the district, the county superintendent of schools shall cause a survey to be made of the district's accounting controls by an independent certified public accountant or public accountant in accordance with standards prescribed by the board of governors. The certified public accountant or public accountant shall report his or her findings and recommendations to the county superintendent, county auditor, and to the applicant district.
  (k) The county superintendent shall forward the district's application, together with his or her other recommendations and the recommendations of the county auditor and a report of the survey, to the board of governors for approval or disapproval of the application. The board of governors shall approve the application only if it finds that the accounting controls of the district are adequate. If the board of governors determines that these controls are inadequate, it shall disapprove the application.
  (l) The county superintendent of schools shall be reimbursed for all costs incident to the accounting controls survey made pursuant to the district's application, from the district's funds.
  (m) When approved by the board of governors, the issuance of warrants pursuant to this section shall be effective at the beginning of the fiscal year if the approval had been made prior to the preceding first day in January. In the event that the issuance of warrant has been disapproved, the board of governors shall state the specific steps which must be taken by the district in order to receive approval. If at any time the county superintendent of schools determines that the accounting controls of the district have become inadequate, he or she may recommend to the board of governors that the approval be revoked, to be effective on the first day of the next following fiscal year.

Article 3 (commencing with Section 29850) of Chapter 5 of Division 3 of Title 3 of the Government Code shall be applicable to any community college district authorized to issue warrants pursuant to Section 85266 or 85266.5; except that whenever any reference is made in that Article 3 (commencing with Section 29850) to (1) the county auditor, or (2) the general fund of the county, that reference shall be deemed, for purposes of this section, to be to (1) the person authorized by the community college district governing board to issue warrants pursuant to Section 85266 or 85266.5, and (2) the general fund of the community college district, respectively.