2014 Management Letter - Laserfiche WebLink

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Capital Expenditures per Capita (Funding Ratio) This dollar amount is arrived at by dividing the total governmental capital outlay expenditures by the population of the City and represents the amount of capital expenditure for each citizen of the City during the year. Since projects are not always recurring, the per capita amount will fluctuate from year to year. Capital Assets Percentage (Common-size Ratio) This percentage represents the percent of governmental or business-type capital assets that are left to be depreciated. The lower this percentage, the older the city’s capital assets are and may need major repairs or replacements in the near future. A higher percentage may indicate newer assets being constructed or purchased and may coincide with higher debt ratios or bonded debt per capita. Future Accounting Standard Changes The following Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statements have been issued and may have an impact on future (1) City financial statements: GASB Statement No. 68 - The Accounting and Financial Reporting of Pensions- an Amendment of GASB Statement No. 27 The primary objective of this Statement is to improve accounting and financial reporting by state and local governments for pensions. It also improves information provided by state and local governmental employers about financial support for pensions that is provided by other entities. This Statement results from a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of existing standards of accounting and financial reporting for pensions with regard to providing decision-useful information, supporting assessments of accountability and interperiod equity, and creating additional transparency. This Statement replaces the requirements of Statement No. 27, Accounting for Pensions by State and Local Governmental Employers, as well as the requirements of Statement No. 50, Pension Disclosures, as they relate to pensions that are provided through pension plans administered as trusts or equivalent arrangements (hereafter jointly referred to as trusts) that meet certain criteria. The requirements of Statements 27 and 50 remain applicable for pensions that are not covered by the scope of this Statement. This Statement is effective for fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2014. Earlier application is encouraged. How the Changes in This Statement Will Improve Financial Reporting The requirements of this Statement will improve the decision-usefulness of information in employer and governmental nonemployer contributing entity financial reports and will enhance its value for assessing accountability and interperiod equity by requiring recognition of the entire net pension liability and a more comprehensive measure of pension expense. Decision- usefulness and accountability also will be enhanced through new note disclosures and required supplementary information. GASB Statement No. 71 - Pension Transition for Contributions Made Subsequent to the Measure Date - an Amendment of GASB Statement No. 68 Summary The objective of this Statement is to address an issue regarding application of the transition provisions of Statement No. 68, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Pensions. The issue relates to amounts associated with contributions, if any, made by a state or local government employer or nonemployer contributing entity to a defined benefit pension plan after the measurement date of the government's beginning net pension liability. Statement No. 68 requires a state or local government employer (or nonemployer contributing entity in a special funding situation) to recognize a net pension liability measured as of a date (the measurement date) no earlier than the end of its prior fiscal year. If a state or local government employer or nonemployer contributing entity makes a contribution to a defined benefit pension plan between the measurement date of the reported net pension liability and the end of the government's reporting period, Statement No. 68 requires that the government recognize its contribution as a deferred outflow of resources. In addition, Statement No. 68 requires recognition of deferred outflows of resources and deferred inflows of resources for changes in the net pension liability of a state or local government employer or nonemployer contributing entity that arise from other types of events. At transition to Statement No. 68, if it is not practical for an employer or nonemployer contributing entity to determine the amounts of all deferred outflows of resources and deferred inflows of resources related to pensions, paragraph 137 of Statement No. 68 required that beginning balances for deferred outflows of resources and deferred inflows of resources not be reported. -15-