Process Server Checks Project

About the Program

Category: Financial Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

The San Bernardino County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector’s (ATC) Central Collections Division (ATC-CC) annually issues thousands of process server checks to County Sheriff offices throughout the State, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and other process servers. Historically, these checks were manually prepared via a system outside the County’s financial system (SAP), manually signed and drawn from an outside bank account replenished with cash deposits. These payments are for sworn officers acting as process servers to serve legal documents (Writ of Execution) to the employers and banks of debtors with outstanding delinquent debt owed to the County and to the FAA to place registration holds on aircraft of taxpayers who are delinquent on their unsecured property taxes. To improve efficiencies and reduce risk, ATC-CC worked collaboratively with ATC’s Information Technology Division (ATC-ITD) to develop and launch the Process Server Checks Project. This new web application enables ATC-CC staff to effectively request checks and perform the necessary accounting. The application then programmatically interfaces with SAP for the ATC Disbursements Division to issue the warrants against a Treasury integrated bank account. The system has provisions to maintain role-based security, mitigate data entry and accounting errors, monitor overdue activity, comply with financial accounting standards, and safeguard assets. This application went-live July 22, 2020 and successfully resolved ATC-CC’s daily challenge of managing internal controls for a system and processes outside the main County financial system. The successful implementation and benefits of this innovative project are deserving of a 2021 Achievement Award.