2014 CAFR - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

CITY OF ST. ANTHONY, MINNESOTA NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS December 31, 2014 Additionally, the City reports the following fund types: Internal Service Fund - the Severance Fund accounts for the liability the City has for employee vacation and severance payments. Agency Fund - the Developer Deposits Fund accounts for costs incurred by the City for the review of various land use permits requested by developers and subsequent owners. The City requires the developer or owner to pay the costs associated with the permitting process. The City collects an initial deposit and bills any overages as needed. As a general rule the effect of interfund activity has been eliminated from the government -wide financial statements. Exceptions to this general rule are transactions that would be treated as revenues, expenditures or expenses if they involved external organizations, such as buying goods and services or payments in lieu of taxes, are similarly treated when they involve other funds of the City. Elimination of these charges would distort the direct costs and program revenues reported for the various functions concerned. Amounts reported as program revenues include 1) charges to customers or applicants for goods, services or privileges provided, 2) operating grants and contributions, and 3) capital grants and contributions, including special assessments. Internally dedicated resources are reported as general revenues rather than as program revenues. Likewise, general revenues include all taxes. Proprietary funds distinguish operating revenues and expenses from nonoperating items. Operating revenues and expenses generally result from providing services and producing and delivering goods in connection with a proprietary fund's principal ongoing operations. The principal operating revenues of the liquor, water and sewer enterprise funds are charges to customers for sales and services. Operating expenses for enterprise funds include the cost of sales and services, administrative expenses, and depreciation on capital assets. All revenues and expenses not meeting this definition are reported as nonoperating revenues and expenses. When both restricted and unrestricted resources are available for an allowable use, it is the City's policy to use restricted resources first, then unrestricted resources as they are needed. D. BUDGETS Budgets are legally adopted on a basis consistent with generally accepted accounting principles. Annual appropriated budgets are legally adopted for the General and all Special Revenue Funds. Budgeted expenditure appropriations lapse at year end. Encumbrance accounting, under which purchase orders, contracts and other commitments for the expenditure of monies are recorded in order to reserve that portion of the appropriation, is not employed by the City because it is at present not considered necessary to assure effective budgetary control or to facilitate effective cash management. 44