Centerville 2010 Financial Report

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CITY OF CENTERVILLE, MINNESOTA NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDEDDECEMBER 31, 2010 Note 1:SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - CONTINUED Taxes payable on homestead property, as defined by Minnesota statutes, were partially reduced by a market value credit aid. The credit is paid to the City by the State of Minnesota (the State) in lieu of taxes levied against the homestead property. The State remits this credit in two equal installments in October and December each year. Delinquent taxes receivable include the past six years’ uncollected taxes. Delinquent taxes have been offset by a deferred revenue liability for delinquent taxes not received within 60 days after year end in the fund financial statements. Special assessments Special assessments represent the financing for public improvements paid for by benefiting property owners. These assessments are recorded as receivables upon certification to the County. Special assessments are recognized as revenue when they are received in cash or within 60 days after year end. All governmental fund special assessments receivable are offset by a deferred revenue liability in the fund financial statements. Inventories and prepaid items All inventories are valued at cost using the first-in/first-out (FIFO) method. Inventories of governmental funds are recorded as expenditures when consumed rather than when purchased. Certain payments to vendors reflect costs applicable to future accounting periods and are recorded as prepaid items in both government-wide and fund financial statements. Capital assets Capital assets, which include property, plant, equipment and infrastructure assets (e.g., roads, bridges, sidewalks, and similar items) are, reported in the applicable governmental or business-type activities columns in the government-wide financial statements. Capital assets are defined by the City as assets with an initial, individual cost of more than $5,000 (amount not rounded) and an estimated useful life in excess of three years. Such assets are recorded at historical cost or estimated historical cost if purchased or constructed. Donated capital assets are recorded at estimated fair market value at the date of donation. In the case of initial capitalization of general infrastructure assets (i.e., those reported by governmental activities) the City chose to include items dating back to June 30, 1980. The City was able to estimate the historical cost for the initial reporting of these assets through back trending (i.e., estimating the current replacement cost of the infrastructure to be capitalized and using an appropriate price-level index to deflate the cost to the acquisition year or estimated acquisition year). As the City constructs or acquires capital assets each period, including infrastructure assets, they are capitalized and reported at historical cost. The reported value excludes normal maintenance and repairs which are essentially amounts spent in relation to capital assets that do not increase the capacity or efficiency of the item or extend its useful life beyond the original estimate. In the case of donations the City values these capital assets at the estimated fair value of the item at the date of its donation. Interest incurred during the construction phase of capital assets of business-type activities is included as part of the capitalized value of the assets constructed. -53-