05-28-2025 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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City of Little Canada, Minnesota Notes to the Financial Statements December 31, 2024 Note 1: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies A. Organization The City of Little Canada, Minnesota (the City) operates under the “Optional Plan A” form of government as defined in Minnesota Statutes. Under this plan, the City Council, composed of an elected mayor and four elected trustees or council members, exercises legislative authority and determines all matters of policy. The City Council appoints personnel responsible for the proper administration of all the affairs relating to the City. The financial statements and the accounting policies of the City conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) as applicable to governmental units. The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is the accepted standard setting body for establishing governmental accounting and financial reporting principles. B. Reporting Entity As required by GAAP, these financial statements include the City (the primary government) and any component units. A component unit is a legally separate entity for which the primary government is financially accountable, or for which the exclusion of the component unit would render the financial statements of the primary government misleading. The criteria used to determine if the primary government is financially accountable for a component unit includes whether or not the primary government appoints the voting majority of the potential component unit’s board, is able to impose its will on the potential component unit, is in a relationship of financial benefit or burden with the potential component unit, or is fiscally depended upon by the potential component unit. The Little Canada Economic Development Authority (EDA) is a legally separate entity created to provide financing for economic development within the City of Little Canada. The governing board of the EDA is appointed by the City council and is substantially the same as the City Council. There is also a financially beneficial relationship between the EDA and the City. For these reasons the EDA has been included in the financial statements as a blended component unit, with its funds reports as though they are funds of the City. The EDA does not prepare separate financial statements. There are no other organizations that, when considered, would be included in the financial statements as a component unit. C. Government-wide and Fund Financial Statements The government-wide financial statements (i.e., the statement of net position and the statement of activities) report information on all of the nonfiduciary activities of the primary government and its component units. Governmental activities, which normally are supported by taxes and intergovernmental revenues, are reported separately from business- type activities, which rely to a significant extent on fees and charges for support. Likewise, the primary government is reported separately from certain legally separate component units for which the City is financially accountable. The statement of activities demonstrates the degree to which the direct expenses of a given function or segment are offset by program revenues. Direct expenses are those that are clearly identifiable with a specific function or segment. Amounts reported as program revenues include 1) charges to customers or applicants who purchase, use, or directly benefit from goods, services, or privileges provided by a given function or segment and 2) grants and contributions that are restricted to meeting the operational or capital requirements of a particular function or segment. Taxes and other items not properly included among program revenues are reported instead as general revenues. Separate financial statements are provided for governmental funds and proprietary funds. Major individual governmental funds and major individual enterprise funds are reported as separate columns in the fund financial statements. The Internal Service fund is presented in the proprietary fund financial statements. Because the principal user of internal services is the City’s governmental activities, the financial statements of the Internal Service Fund is consolidated into the governmental column when presented in the government-wide financial statements. The cost of these services is reported in the appropriate functional activity. 63