2008 CAFR - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OF ST. ANTHONY, MINNESOTA NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS December 31, 2008 The statement of activities demonstrates the degree to which the direct expenses of a given function or business -type activity is offset by program revenues. Direct expenses are those that are clearly identifiable with a specific function or business -type activity. 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 business -type activity; and, 2) grants and contributions that are restricted to meeting the operational or capital requirements of a particular function or business -type activity. Taxes and other items not 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. C. MEASUREMENT FOCUS, BASIS OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT PRESENTATION The government -wide financial statements are reported using the economic resources measurement focus and the accrual basis of accounting, as are the proprietary fund financial statements. Revenues are recorded when earned and expenses are recorded when a liability is incurred, regardless of the timing of related cash flows. Property taxes are recognized as revenues in the year for which they are levied. Grants and similar items are recognized as revenue as soon as all eligibility requirements imposed by the provider have been met. Governmental fund financial statements are reported using the current financial resources measurement focus and the modified accrual basis of accounting. Revenues are recognized as soon as they are both measurable and available. Revenues are considered to be available when they are collectible within the current period or soon enough thereafter to pay liabilities of the current period. For this purpose, the government considers all revenues, except property taxes and reimbursement grants, to be available if they are collected within 90 days of the end of the current fiscal period. Property taxes are considered available if they are collected within 60 days of the end of the current year. Reimbursement grants are considered available if they are collected within one year of the end of the current fiscal period. Expenditures generally are recorded when a liability is incurred, as under accrual accounting. However, debt service expenditures, as well as expenditures related to compensated absences and claims and judgments, are recorded only when payment is due. Property taxes, special assessments, intergovernmental revenues, charges for services and interest associated with the current fiscal period are all considered to be susceptible to accrual and so have been recognized as revenues of the current fiscal period. Only the portion of special assessments receivable due within the current fiscal period is considered to be susceptible to accrual as revenue of the current period. All other revenue items are considered to be measurable and available only when cash is received by the government. 42