The Pueblo County Treasurer is an independently elected county officer whose responsibilities are established by the Colorado Constitution, Colorado statutes, and Pueblo County policies.
The Treasurer does not independently establish the County budget or set broader fiscal policy. The office does, however, play an important role in receiving, safeguarding, investing, accounting for, and disbursing public funds.
Article XIV, Section 8 of the Colorado Constitution establishes the county treasurer as an elected county officer and identifies the Treasurer as the county's collector of taxes.
Under C.R.S. §30-10-707, the County Treasurer receives money belonging to the County from whatever source it is derived. County money may generally be paid out only upon lawful orders of the Board of County Commissioners, except where another law provides otherwise.
C.R.S. §30-10-708 requires the Treasurer to deposit funds received through the office in approved public depositories. The Board of County Commissioners designates and approves those depositories.
C.R.S. §30-10-709 requires the Treasurer to maintain a just and true account of money received and disbursed through the office.
The Treasurer's books and accounts are subject to inspection by the County Commissioners and other authorized public officials. The Treasurer must also periodically settle the office's accounts with the Board of County Commissioners and present books, accounts, and vouchers for examination.
Pueblo County's Investment Policy places operational responsibility for the County's investment program with the Treasurer, subject to Colorado law and policies adopted by the Board of County Commissioners.
The policy establishes three principal investment objectives: preservation of principal, sufficient liquidity to meet anticipated operating needs, and an appropriate market rate of return.
The Treasurer is responsible for developing written investment procedures and internal controls designed to protect public funds from fraud, employee error, third-party misrepresentation, imprudent conduct, loss, theft, and misuse.
The County's Investment Policy requires the investment portfolio to remain sufficiently liquid to meet reasonably anticipated operating requirements. Investments are also to be matched, where possible, with anticipated cash-flow requirements and known future liabilities.
These responsibilities make cash management and awareness of future obligations an important part of the Treasurer's financial role, even though the Treasurer does not independently determine County spending policy.
Pueblo County policy requires the Treasurer to review the investment portfolio at least quarterly, identify investments that do not comply with County policy, and establish procedures for reporting significant instances of noncompliance to the Board of County Commissioners.
The Treasurer also submits quarterly investment reports to the Board. Those reports include information about portfolio holdings, transactions, maturity, credit quality, investment performance, and compliance with County policy.
The Colorado Constitution identifies the County Treasurer as the county's tax collector. Detailed procedures governing property-tax collection, distribution, delinquent taxes, and tax sales are established primarily in Title 39 of the Colorado Revised Statutes.
These responsibilities make the Treasurer an important participant in Pueblo County's financial management, but not its sole financial policymaker. Budgeting and fiscal policy involve the Board of County Commissioners and numerous other elected officials and County departments.
The Treasurer's distinctive role is to safeguard and account for public money, administer the County's investment program, maintain liquidity, provide financial reporting, and bring that financial perspective to the broader decision-making process.