Agenda - Council Work Session - 06/14/2011

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ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING UPDATES GASB STATEMENT No. 54 — FUND BALANCE REPORTING AND GOVERNMENTAL FUND TYPE DEFINITIONS The objective of this statement is to enhance the usefulness of fund balance information by providing clearer fund balance classifications that can be more consistently applied and by clarifying the existing governmental fund type definitions. This statement establishes fund balance classifications (nonspendable, restricted, committed, assigned, and unassigned) that comprise a hierarchy based primarily on the extent to which a government is bound to observe constraints imposed upon the use of the resources reported in governmental funds. The definitions of the general, special revenue, capital projects, debt service, and permanent fund types are clarified by the provisions in this statement; which could necessitate changes in fund structure, particularly for existing special revenue funds. Elimination of the reserved component of fund balance in favor of a restricted classification will enhance the consistency between information reported in the government -wide statements and information in the governmental fund financial statements and avoid confusion about the relationship between reserved fund balance and restricted net assets. The requirements of this statement are effective for financial statements for periods beginning after June 15, 2010. GASB STATEMENT No. 60 — ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL REPORTING FOR SERVICE CONCESSION ARRANGEMENTS This statement provides accounting and financial reporting guidance for govenments that participate as either a transferor or an operator in a service concession arrangement (SCA). SCAB are arrangements whereby a government transfers the rights to operate one of its capital assets to a third party operator (either a private party or another government) for consideration, with the operator then being compensated from the fees or charges collected in connection with the operation of the asset. To qualify as an SCA, an arrangement must meet all of the following criteria: 1) the transferor must convey to the operator both the right and the obligation to use one of its capital assets to provide services to the public; 2) the operator must provide significant consideration to the transferor; 3) the operator must be compensated from the fees or charges it collects from third parties; 4) the transferor must have the ability to either determine, modify, or approve what services are to be provided to whom at what price; and 5) the transferor must retain a significant residual interest in the service utility of the asset. This statement provides guidance to governments that are party to an SCA for reporting the assets, obligations, and flow of revenues that result from the arrangement; along with the required financial statement disclosures. The requirements of this statement must be implemented for fiscal year ending December 31, 2012, with earlier implementation encouraged. GASB STATEMENT No. 61— THE FINANCIAL REPORTING ENTITY: OMNIBUS This statement amends the current guidance in GASB Statement No. 14, "The Financial Reporting Entity," for identifying and presenting component units. This statement changes the fiscal dependency criterion for determining component units. Potential component units that meet the fiscal dependency criterion for inclusion in the financial reporting entity under existing guidance will only be included if there is also "financial interdependency" (an ongoing relationship of potential financial benefit or burden) with the primary government. This statement also clarifies the types of relationships that are considered to meet the "misleading to exclude" criterion for inclusion as a component unit; changes the criteria for blending component units; gives direction for the determination and disclosure of major component units; and adds a requirement to report an explicit, measurable equity interest in a discretely presented component unit in a statement of position prepared using the economic resources measurement focus. The requirements of this statement must be implemented for fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, with earlier implementation encouraged. -17-