(a) The county treasurer/tax collector shall collect the assessment from all assessed businesses, and, in collecting an assessment, may bring enforcement actions.

(b) Funds collected shall be deposited into an account or accounts for the benefit of the county commission, subject to the county treasurer/tax collector’s authority under Section 13995.109 to reimburse his or her office for direct and actual expenses associated with the collection of assessments. These accounts shall not be accounts of the state or county government.

(c) The county treasurer/tax collector shall mail to each business identified pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 13995.111 a form requesting information necessary to determine the assessment for that business. Any business failing to provide this information in a timely manner shall be assessed an amount determined by the county treasurer/tax collector to represent the upper assessment level for that segment.

(d) The assessed funds shall be audited annually.

(e) The assessed funds shall be under the control of the county commission, which shall spend the funds consistent with commission policies and the Los Angeles County Tourism Marketing Plan. Neither the state nor the county shall have any interest in the fund except the general interest that the state has in nonprofit corporations.

(f) Direct and actual expenses incurred by the county in implementing this article shall be reimbursed from the assessed funds.

(Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 229, Sec. 1.5. Effective January 1, 2004.)