2008 CAFR - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OF ST. ANTHONY, MINNESOTA NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS December 31, 2008 following January. The City has no ability to enforce payment of property taxes by property owners. The County possesses this authority. GOVERNMENT -WIDE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The City recognizes property tax revenue in the period for which the taxes were levied. Uncollectible property taxes are not material and have not been reported. GOVERNMENTAL FUND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The City recognizes property tax revenue when it becomes both measurable and available to finance expenditures of the current period. In practice, current and delinquent taxes and State credits received by the City in July, December and January are recognized as revenue for the current year. Taxes collected by the County by December 31 (remitted to the City the following January) and taxes and credits not received at year end are classified as delinquent and due from County taxes receivable. The portion of delinquent taxes not collected by the City in January is fully offset by deferred revenue because they are not available to finance current expenditures. I. MARKET VALUE HOMESTEAD CREDIT Property taxes on residential agricultural homestead property (as defined by State Statutes) are partially reduced by market value homestead credit (MVHC). This credit is paid to the City by the State in lieu of taxes levied against homestead property. The State remits this credit through installments each year. The credit is recognized as revenue by the City at the time of collection. J. SPECIAL ASSESSMENT REVENUE RECOGNITION Special assessments are levied against benefited properties for the cost or a portion of the cost of special assessment improvement projects in accordance with State Statutes. These assessments are collectible by the City over a term of years usually consistent with the term of the related bond issue. Collection of annual installments (including interest) is handled by the County Auditor in the same manner as property taxes. Property owners are allowed to (and often do) prepay future installments without interest or prepayment penalties. Once a special assessment roll is adopted, the amount attributed to each parcel is a lien upon that property until full payment is made or the amount is determined to be excessive by the City Council or court action. If special assessments are allowed to go delinquent, the property is subject to tax forfeit sale. Proceeds of sales from tax forfeit properties are allocated first to the County's costs of administering all tax forfeit properties. Pursuant to State Statutes, a property shall be subject to a tax forfeit sale after three years unless it is homesteaded, agricultural or seasonal recreational land in which event the property is subject to such sale after five years. 47