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Bill

HB 1042

Authorizing cost recovery for county treasurers.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Monica Stonier and 2 co-sponsors

HB 1042 allows Washington county treasurers to charge fees recovering operational costs, potentially reducing county budget burden while increasing service costs for users.

Public hearing in the House Committee on Finance at 1:30 PM.
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Bill Summary · HB 1042

Legislative bill overview

HB 1042 authorizes county treasurers in Washington to recover costs associated with their operations and services. The bill would allow treasurers to implement fee structures or cost-recovery mechanisms for services they provide, rather than absorbing all expenses through general county budgets.

Why is this important

County treasurers manage tax collection, debt service, and investment of public funds—functions critical to local government operations. Enabling cost recovery could reduce financial pressure on county budgets, though it may increase costs for taxpayers and entities utilizing these services, depending on implementation.

Potential points of contention

  • Fee structure concerns: Unclear whether cost recovery applies uniformly across all services or selectively, and whether low-income residents or small businesses could be disproportionately affected by new fees
  • Transparency and oversight: Questions about what constitutes recoverable "costs" and whether sufficient oversight mechanisms exist to prevent excessive fee-setting
  • Intergovernmental impact: Potential effects on other governmental entities (schools, special districts) that rely on county treasurer services and may face increased costs

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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