Municipal Code Ordinance Changes – City Treasurer DutiesCity CouncilFebruary 17, 2026
History and Context
Over the last 60 years, there have multiple delegations and re-delegations of the City Treasurer’s powers/duties under the City Charter that these ordinance changes will resolve 1966: Voters in Huntington Beach adopt City Charter governing city, including a City Manager and 10 elected representatives (7 City Council members, City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Treasurer) City Treasurer powers/duties assigned under Section 311(a) to include receipt and collection of all taxes, assessments, license fees, and other revenue of the City Section 403 outlining City Manager duties/powers include provision that all department heads (including City Treasurer) administer the City’s affairs in the most efficient, fiscally responsible, and harmonious manner 2006: The Municipal Code was amended to delegate various City Treasurer duties (including business license tax, oil well taxes, and municipal services fees) from the Treasurer’s Office to a newly created distinct Finance Department under the supervision of the City Manager 2023: The City Treasurer regained a subset of the City Treasurer duties (but not business license tax, oil well taxes, and municipal services fees) 2025-2026: City Attorney and City Treasurer review history/language of City Charter and relevant Municipal Code sections to determine powers/duties of the Treasurer’s Office as set forth in the Charter
Charter Duties
Shifting the duties with respect to business license taxes, oil well taxes, and municipal services fees to the City Treasurer in alignment with the Charter will require modification to 9 Municipal Code sections Intent – Codify original duties to the City Treasurer with respect to business license taxes, oil well taxes, and municipal services fees in alignment with City Charter Required Council Action – Amend via Ordinance No. 4346 the following sections of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code: 1.18, 2.15, 2.16, 3.28, 5.04, 5.08, 5.16, 5.70, and 14.08 Each of the Code sections simply redesignates Charter powers/duties related to either business license taxes, oil well taxes, or municipal services fees and makes no other modifications to the respective sections These modifications are not intended to alter the day-to-day management or organizational structure of the Business License or Municipal Services teams Advantages – Making these amendments helps both the City Treasurer and Director of Finance better fulfill their efficiency/fiscal responsibility duties under Section 403 of the City Charter by streamlining all operations related to business license taxes, oil well taxes, and municipal services fees into a single department rather than spread across two departments (situation today)
Recommendation
Approve for Introduction Ordinance No. 4346 Amending an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach which Amends Chapters 1.18, 2.15, 2.16, 3.28, 5.04, 5.08, 5.16, 5.70, and 14.08 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code Relating to Duties of the City Treasurer
Questions