Fund Balance - Net Position Policy and Procedures (BF-8, Rev. 0)DEPARTMENT:
SUBJECT:
REVISION:
APPROVED BY:
PURPOSE
CITY OF DELRAY BEACH
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Finance
Fund Balance/Net Position
Policy and Procedures
POLICY NUMBER: BF-8
SUPERSEDES : �A
EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/17/2024
Terrence Moore, ICMA-CM, City Manager
This policy will ensure that the City maintains adequate fund balance/net position and reserves in the City's
various operating funds to: 1) provide sufficient cash flow for daily financial needs, (2) secure and maintain
investment grade bond ratings, (3) offset significant economic downturns and revenue shortfalls and (4)
provide funds for unforeseen expenditures related to emergencies.
POLICY
The City will maintain reservations of unassigned fund balance in the General Fund and unrestricted net
positions in the Proprietary Funds of the City as described herein. Maintaining reservations of unassigned
fund balance for Other Governmental Funds is not allowable as per Governmental Accounting Standards
Board (GASB) Statement No. 54, paragraph 17.
A.General Fund: The General Fund is the City's main operating fund. There shall be a reserve balance
in its unassigned fund balance of 21 % to 25% of the current fiscal year's budgeted operating expenditures,
excluding transfers. For calculation purposes, the current fiscal year budget shall be the budget as
originally adopted by the City Commission on or before September 30th. The reserve shall be in addition
to all other categories of fund balance which include Non-Spendable, Restricted, Committed, and Assigned.
B.Other Governmental Funds: Other Governmental Funds are used to account for assets that are
restricted or committed for specific purposes. The City is not allowed to make reservations of a positive
unassigned fund balance as defined above. For negative unassigned fund balances, see Procedures
Section C ("Replenishment of Reserve Deficits").
Other Governmental Funds include:
1.) Special Revenue Funds: Special Revenue Funds are used to account for proceeds of specific
revenue sources that are restricted or committed to expenditure for specified purposes other
than debt service or capital projects. Examples of Special Revenue Funds include the Law
Enforcement Trust Fund, Special Projects Fund, Neighborhood Services Fund, Beautification
Fund, and Developers Land Contribution Fund.
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2.) Debt Service Fund: This fund accounts for assets held and restricted for the repayment of
principal and interest on debt reported in the government-wide financial statements. Examples
of Debt Service Funds include General Obligation Debt Service Fund and Utilities Tax Fund.
3.) Capital Projects Funds -These funds are used to account for financial resources that are
restricted or assigned for the acquisition or construction of major capital facilities ( other than
those financed by proprietary funds). Examples of Capital Projects Funds include Beach
Renourishment Fund, General Construction Fund and the 2004 General Obligation Fund.
C.Proprietary Funds: Proprietary Funds are used for business type activities. These funds may be used
to report any activity in which a fee is charged to external users for goods or services, but must be used
whenever there is outstanding debt backed solely by fees and charges, or there are laws and regulations
that require fees and charges to recover costs or there is a pricing policy that fees and charges be set to
recover costs.
The City will maintain a minimum level of Working Capital (current assets minus current liabilities) of its
Water & Sewer and Stormwater Enterprise Funds equal to three months (25%) of regular, on-going
operating expenses. The minimum level for all other enterprise funds shall be not less than 15% of regular
ongoing operating expenses. In the event that the reserves are used resulting in a balance below the
specified minimum levels, the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, will develop a plan to be presented
during the annual budget process.
For the purposes of calculation, the current year shall be the budget as originally adopted by resolution on
or before September 30th.
Proprietary Funds are as follows: City Marina, Sanitation Fund, Water and Sewer Fund, Municipal Golf
Course Fund, Lakeview Golf Course Fund, Cemetery Fund and the Stormwater Fund.
D.Internal Service Funds: Internal Service Funds are used to account for the financing of goods or
services provided by one department or agency to other departments or agencies of the City, or to other
governmental units on a cost reimbursement basis. The City will maintain a minimum level of unrestricted
net position equal to 15% of the fund's total operating budget. Unrestricted net position is that portion of
net position that is the residual amount of the net position (the sum of total assets and deferred outflows
less the sum of total liabilities and deferred inflows of resources) that is not included in the net investment
in capital assets or restricted net position.
The City has the following Internal Service Funds: Central Garage Fund and the Insurance Fund.
E.Definitions of Fund Balance/Net Assets
Fund Balance of Governmental Funds:
Fund Balance -As defined by the Governmental Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting of the
Government Finance Officers Association, fund balance is net position of a governmental fund (difference
between assets, liabilities, deferred outflows of resources and deferred inflows of resources).
Non-Spendable Fund Balance -Amounts that are (a) not in spendable form or (b) legally or contractually
required to be maintained intact. "Not in spendable form" includes items that are not expected to be
converted to cash (such as inventories and prepaid amounts), items such as long-term amount of loans
and notes receivable as well as property acquired for resale.
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Restricted Fund Balance -Amounts that can be spent only for specific purposes stipulated by (a) external
resource providers (such as creditors, granters, or contributors), or laws or regulations of other
governments or (b) imposed by law through constitutional provisions or enabling legislation.
Committed Fund Balance -Amounts that can be used only for the specific purposes determined by a
formal action (ordinance or resolution) of the City Commission, the City's highest level of decision-making
authority. Commitments may be changed or lifted only by the City Commission taking the same formal
action (ordinance or resolution) that imposed the constraint originally. Resources accumulated pursuant
to stabilization arrangements sometimes are reported in this category.
Assigned Fund Balance -Consists of amounts that the City intends to use for specific purposes that are
neither restricted nor committed. The intent shall be expressed by the management of the City. This
balance can include encumbrances or amounts set aside for a subsequent year's budget.
Unassigned Fund Balance -Unassigned fund balance is the residual classification for the General Fund.
This classification represents fund balance that has not been assigned to other funds and that has not been
restricted, committed, or assigned to specific purposes within the General Fund. For other governmental
Funds, unassigned fund balances shall not include positive balances but may include negative balances if
expenditures exceed amounts restricted, committed, or assigned for those specific purposes.
Unrestricted Fund Balance -Consists of the total of the last three categories (Committed Fund Balance,
Assigned Fund Balance and Unassigned Fund Balance) and includes only resources without a constraint
on spending or for which the constraint on spending is imposed by the government.
Net Position of Proprietary Funds:
Restricted Net Position -Amounts that can be spent only for specific purposes stipulated by (a) external
resource providers (such as creditors, granters, or contributors) or laws or regulations of other governments
or (b) imposed by law through constitutional provisions or enabling legislation.
Unrestricted Net Position -The residual balance of net position after the elimination of the amounts
invested in capital assets net of related debt and the restricted net position.
PROCEDURE
A.UTILIZATION OF SUR PLUS RESERVES
In the event that the unassigned fund balance of the General Fund or working capital of the proprietary
funds, the excess may be utilized for any lawful purpose. It is recommended, however, that priority be
given to utilizing the excess within the fund in which it was generated. It may also be used for one-time
costs including the establishment of or increase in legitimate restrictions, commitments or assignments of
fund balance or restrictions of net assets.
B.SPENDING ORDER OF FUND BALANCES
The City shall use restricted amounts to be spent first when both restricted and unrestricted fund balance
is available unless there are legal documents/contracts that prohibit doing this, such as grant agreements
requiring dollar for dollar spending. Additionally, the City shall first use committed fund balance, followed
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by assigned fund balance and then unassigned fund balance when expenditures are incurred for purposes
for which amounts in any of the unrestricted fund balance classifications could be used.
C.REPLENISHMENT OF RESERVE DEFICITS
If, at the end of any fiscal year, the actual amount of unassigned fund balance or working capital falls
below the required fund levels set forth herein, the City Manager shall prepare and submit a plan for
expenditure or expense reductions and/or revenue increases to the City Commission. As a part of the
annual budget review, the City Commission shall review and, if necessary, amend the plan submitted by
the City Manager for restoring the amounts of unassigned fund balance or working capital to the required
levels. Any deficit in the required amount must be restored no later than the end of the third fiscal year
following the occurrence.
D.ANNUAL REVIEW
Compliance with the provisions of this policy shall be reviewed as a part of the annual budget adoption
process and the amounts of restricted, committed, assigned, non-spendable and the minimum level of
unassigned fund balance shall be determined during this process.
E.ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
It will be the responsibility of the Chief Financial Officer to keep this policy current.