Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 87.03.260, 87.03.270, 87.03.440, and 87.03.445, the board of directors of any district acting as fiscal agent for the United States or the state of Washington for the collection of any irrigation charges may authorize the secretary of the district to act as the exclusive collection agent for the collection of all nondelinquent irrigation assessments of the district pursuant to such rules and regulations as the board of directors may adopt.

When the secretary acts as collection agent, his or her official bond shall be of a sufficient amount as determined by the board of directors of the district to cover any amounts he or she may be handling while acting as collection agent, in addition to any other amount required by reason of his or her other duties.

The assessment roll of such district shall be delivered to the county treasurer in accordance with the provisions of RCW 87.03.260 and 87.03.270 and the assessment roll shall be checked and verified by the county treasurer as provided in RCW 87.03.270.

After the assessment roll has been checked and verified by the county treasurer, the secretary of the district shall proceed to publish the notice as required under RCW 87.03.270; except that the notice shall provide that until the assessments and tolls become delinquent on November 1st they shall be due and payable in the office of the secretary of the district.

When the secretary of such district receives payments, he or she shall issue a receipt for such payments and shall be accountable on his or her official bond for the safekeeping of such funds and shall remit the same, along with an itemized statement of receipts, at least once each month to the county treasurer wherein the land is located on which the payment was made.

When the county treasurer receives the monthly statement of receipts from the secretary, he or she shall enter the payments shown thereon on the assessment roll maintained in his or her office.

On the fifteenth day of November of each year it shall be the duty of the secretary to transmit to the county treasurer the delinquency list which shall include the names, amounts, and such other information as the county treasurer shall require, and thereafter the secretary shall not accept any payment on the delinquent portion of any account. Upon receipt of the list of delinquencies, the county treasurer shall proceed under the provisions of this chapter as though he or she were the collection agent for such district to the extent of such delinquent accounts.

Effective date—1982 c 102: See note following RCW 87.03.270.