Howard County, Iowa Treasures duties include working with County Financial Management, Real Estate, Motor Vehicles, Collection of Property Taxes, and Annual Tax Sale.

Duties of the Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for the receipt, management, disbursement, financial reporting, bonds and investment of all monies paid to the County and serves as agent for the State of Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance.

The Treasurer compiles composite reports from individual record books to general ledgers: reviews and reconciles receipts, bills, and cash received to assure accuracy of figures to prevent discrepancies and financial loss. In addition, the Treasurer categorizes, indexes, files and deposits materials, forms and monies received to assure public funds are administered properly.

The Treasurer is responsible for the proper receipt, accounting and disbursement of county funds within proper policies established by the State of Iowa, Howard County Board of Supervisors and corporate and unincorporated taxing entities for adequate financial control.

Financial Management

	Investment of Revenues
	Keep accurate record of monies received and disbursed
	Check supporting data for all check and cash receipts from all county monies
	Submit accurate financial records for annual audit
	Prepare monthly reports
	Prepare reports throughout the year for the Howard County Board of Supervisors and State Auditor
	Update Investment Report annually if law changes ACH transfers of monthly tax payments
	Send monthly monies to the Iowa Department of Transportation
	Apportion taxes to various entities
	Collect miscellaneous revenues from all county offices and departments

Real Estate Division

	To collect taxes certified for all real estate, mobile homes, special assessments, utilities
	Process Iowa Property Tax Credit Claims for senior citizens or disabled persons
	Pursue collection of tax liens by ordinary lawsuit or by proceeding to the taking of the tax sale deed
	Prepare for publishing a newspaper notice of tax sale
	Conduct annual and adjourned tax sales
	Send notice of delinquent taxes to taxpayers with outstanding taxes as of February 1
	Send notice of annual tax sale no later than May 1, Process tax sale redemptions

Motor Vehicle Division

	CDL issuance; Auto and Motorcycle testing and license issuance.
	License, title, collect fee for new registration and motor vehicle registrations in Howard County
	Issue duplicate, salvage, in lieu and in transit titles
	Record and release security interests
	Issue junking certificates for vehicles that are dismantled or no longer operable
	Prepare reports for the Iowa Department of Transportation
	Process refund claim forms
	Issue special license plates
	Work with Department of Transportation Investigators

Collection of Property Taxes

	It is the Treasurer’s duty to collect all taxes, certified by the County Auditor, which includes real estate, mobile homes, special assessments, buildings on leased land, equipment assessed as real estate, utilities and grain handlers.
	The County Auditor delivers tax lists of the various districts to the Treasurer at the beginning of each fiscal year.
	Taxes are segregated in taxing districts, and the amounts collected are apportioned to the various funds; State, Area Schools, Ag Extension, Assessor/Appraiser, County, School, corporate entities and townships.

Property Tax Payments

	Property taxes may be paid in two installments. The first half is due September 1 and becomes delinquent October 1; the second half is due March 1 and becomes delinquent April 1.
	Delinquent interest accrues at the rate of 1.5% per month, rounded to the nearest dollar with a minimum of a dollar.
	Payments for redemption from tax sale must be paid by guaranteed funds. The rate of interest required by Iowa law to be paid in a redemption is 2% per month.

Notice of Delinquent Taxes

	The law requires that a notice be sent to property owners who have outstanding taxes as of February 1. The notification explains that under Iowa law, it is important for property owners to pay taxes and special assessments when they are due in order to avoid the tax sale.
	Iowa law also requires that a notice of the annual tax sale shall be mailed not later than May 1 to the person in whose name the parcel subject to sale is taxed.
	Delinquent taxes as of May 1 are assessed a publication fee and advertised for sale at the annual tax sale in June.

Tax Sale

	The Annual Tax Sale is held the third Monday in June at 10:00 a.m. with an adjourned sale scheduled for the third Monday of each subsequent month. Any delinquency must be offered for sale at the Regular or Public Bidder Tax Sale.
	Delinquent tax and/or special assessments advertised twice and remaining unsold for want of bidders, must be offered for sale at the annual Public Bidder Sale. Howard County is required by Iowa law to purchase the delinquencies if there is no private sector bidder.