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CITY OF CENTERVILLE, MINNESOTA <br />NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS <br />FOR THE YEAR ENDEDDECEMBER 31, 2010 <br /> <br />Note 1:SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – CONTINUED <br /> <br />Property, plant and equipment of the City are depreciated using the straight-line method over the following <br />estimated useful lives: <br /> <br />Useful Lives <br />Assetsin Years <br />Land improvements4 to 25 <br />Other improvements10 to 20 <br />Buildings and improvements10 to 50 <br />System improvements/infrastructure20 to 50 <br />Machinery and equipment3 to 20 <br />Vehicles3 to 10 <br />Other assets3 to 15 <br /> <br />Compensated absences <br /> <br />It is the City’s policy to permit employees to accumulate earned but unused paid time off benefits to a maximum of <br />192 hours. All paid time off pay is accrued when incurred in the government-wide and proprietary funds. A liability <br />for these amounts is reported in governmental funds only if they have matured, for example, as a result of employee <br />resignations and retirements. Union employees are allowed severance equal to their unused compensatory time. In <br />governmental fund types the cost of these benefits is recognized when payments are made to the employees. The <br />General fund is typically used to liquidate governmental compensated absences. <br /> <br />Long-term obligations <br /> <br />In the government-wide financial statements, and proprietary fund types in the fund financial statements, long-term <br />debt and other long-term obligations are reported as liabilities in the applicable governmental activities, business- <br />type activities or proprietary fund type statement of net assets. Beginning January 1, 2003, for governmental funds, <br />bond premiums and discounts, as well as issuance costs, are deferred and amortized over the life of the bonds using <br />the straight-line method. Bond issuance costs are reported as deferred charges and amortized over the term of the <br />related debt. <br /> <br />In the fund financial statements, governmental fund types recognized bond premiums and discounts, as well as bond <br />issuance costs, during the current period. The face amount of debt issued is reported as other financing sources. <br />Premiums received on debt issuances are reported as other financing sources while discounts on debt issuances are <br />reported as other financing uses. Issuance costs, whether or not withheld from the actual debt proceeds received, are <br />reported as debt service expenditures. <br /> <br />Fund equity <br /> <br />In the fund financial statements, governmental funds report reservations of fund balance for amounts that are not <br />available for appropriation or are legally restricted by outside parties for use for a specific purpose. Designations of <br />fund balance represent tentative management plans that are subject to change. <br />-54- <br /> <br />