The Ventura County Treasurer-Tax Collector is a non-partisan county-wide elected official. Sue Horgan was elected in June, 2022, and began her 4 year term in January, 2023. Her office performs three general functions: collection of assorted county and local taxes, management of the county treasury, and investment of the local agency investment pool.

The Collections Department

The Collections Department primarily collects secured property taxes on real property, approximately $2 billion annually. Real property tax collections supply over 34% of the County General Fund. The unit collects over 98% of the bills issued each year for the 250,000 unique parcels in Ventura County, and it collects 99.999% of the bills before having to resort to a tax sale.

The Collections Department also collects unsecured property taxes on property such as boats, airplanes, business equipment and other taxable property, approximately $45 million annually. In addition, the unit acts as the collection agent for over 330 government agencies for bonds, special assessments, and fees.

The Treasury Department is the depository for County, school district, and special district funds. All banking functions are handled in Treasury, which is in all respects the equivalent of a small business bank processing $13.5 billion annually. The Treasurer selects the official County bank to be the custodian of those funds.

Most County agencies and most school districts are required to deposit their funds in the Treasury, and all the funds received by the Collections Department are placed in the Treasury. The Treasury monitors balances, deposits, and transfers. The Treasury approves payment methods, participates in bond issuances by the County and by school districts, provides a cash window for public needs, and manages the vault spaces used by other County agencies.

The Treasurer-Tax Collector manages the $4 billion local agency investment fund, pursuant to policy guidelines established by the Board of Supervisors with 

input from the Treasurer and the Treasury Oversight Committee. Over 250 government agencies participate in the pool. The Treasury Department distributes pool earnings quarterly. The pool holds the highest possible rating for municipal investment pools issued by Standard & Poor’s.

The Treasurer-Tax Collector serves on the Ventura County Executive Committee, the Finance Planning Committee, the Deferred Compensation Committee, the Treasury Oversight Committee, and the Service Excellence Committee; is a member of the Supplemental Retirement Board that provides oversight for the county’s 401(k) and 457(b) plans; and is an ex officio trustee of the Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association, providing oversight for the management of the $7 billion retirement fund.