Management Report and Recommendations 12/31/1991

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City of Lino Lakes, Minnesota Management Report, Page 14 As the previous schedule shows, special assessment collection rates have fluctuated substantially over the past several years. The ability of the City to collect special assessments is vital to the financing of the Special Assessment Debt Service Funds of the City. The primary funding of debt payments is special assessments. Timely collection of special assessments are required to assure timely availability of cash to meet the scheduled debt payments. As of December 31, 1991 the City's delinquent special assessment balance was $126,088 of which $96,780 or 77% relates to the Rice Lake Estate assessments. The City's current and total overall collection rates for 1991 excluding the Rice Lake Estate assessment were 92% and 98% respectively. We recommend that the City monitor the collection rate and provide supplemental financing if assessment collections are not adequate to meet bonded debt payments. The amount listed as "City property" totaled $142,553 at December 31, 1991 and 1990. The City acquired these properties in order to recover the assessments levied against some of these properties. The City has received clearance to permit development of these lots from various authorities (Army Corps of Engineers and State DNR). The City intends to sell the properties and recover a portion of the related assessments. The City had determined that the amounts will not be fully recoverable. The City has received bids on the property and is currently litigating a settlement. In addition to the above parcels which are subject to sale, the City had additional City lots (City Hall) which were assessed in 1988. An alternative procedure to assessing City property is to adopt a property tax levy or other City funding source to pay for the cost of assessments which benefit either City property directly or the City of Lino Lakes' overall system. Examples of such assessments are laterals for City Hall property, park property or general benefit improvements such as lift stations and water storage facilities. The City generally would not "pay itself' for assessments on property that it owns. These amounts are commonly included in the financing arrangements as a property tax or other City Council designated element of the bond issue. We recommend that the City consider alternate procedures relative to assessments which benefit City property or which improve the City's overall core water and sewer distribution systems. The City collects special assessments through Anoka County. This agency arrangement has advantages to the City primarily in saving administrative time and effort required to bill and collect special assessments. A certain level of control, however, is lost through the agency arrangement insofar as accounting records are located and maintained at both the County and the City. Correlation of these records is required to assure accurate tabulation of receivables and amounts