HomeMy WebLinkAboutFIN 2017-11-07 Item 2F - Resolution - Financial Reserve Policy AmendmentTO:
City of Tukwila
INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
Mayor Ekberg
Finance Committee
FROM: Peggy McCarthy, Finance Director
BY: Sherry Wright, Senior Fiscal Coordinator
DATE: November 7, 2017
SUBJECT: Proposed Changes to City's Financial Reserve Policy
ISSUE
Allan Ekberg, Mayor
Approve revisions to the City's Financial Reserve Policy due to recent changes in accounting
standards. The Financial Reserve Policy dictates the minimum level of fund balance (reserves)
and how the City will manage one-time revenues.
BACKGROUND
The Tukwila City Council approved the current Financial Reserve Policy on August 3, 2015 when
it passed Resolution No. 1861. The Financial Reserve Policy outlines minimum fund balance
(reserve) requirements, one-time revenues, and self-insurance reserves. The reserve policy
needs to be updated based on recently adopted accounting standards which affected fund
balance in Enterprise Funds. To address this impact, staff recommends making the changes
highlighted in the attached resolution.
DISCUSSION
Resolution 1861 outlines the minimum level of financial reserves (fund balance) for the City's
funds. Federal accounting requirements are constantly changing, and a recent change impacted
the unrestricted balances reported in Enterprise Funds. Based on the change in accounting
standards, staff recommends amending the Financial Reserve Policy by clarifying that the effects
of specific accounting standards will be excluded from the calculation of unrestricted fund balance.
In 2015, the City was required to implement a new federal accounting standard for pension plans,
Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement 68. This standard, commonly referred to
as GASB 68, changed the way local governments calculate and report the costs associated with
providing pension benefits for employees. The primary requirement of GASB 68 is for employers
to report their share of any unfunded pension obligation as a balance sheet liability, and to
recognize certain pension expenses immediately rather than over an extended period. Although
the City is required to report these items on the financial statements, it is important to note that
this is not an actual current liability of the City.
In 2016, when the GASB 68 entry was booked in the Golf Course Fund, the unrestricted balance
dropped to 8%, which is below the required unrestricted balance of 20% of the previous year's
revenues. Since the accounting entry for GASB 68 doesn't impact actual available fund balance,
staff is recommending a minor change to policy language. Clarifying language has been added
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INFORMATIONAL MEMO
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to Section 1.B. of the attached resolution. For clarification purposes, the following tables show the
calculation of minimum fund balance according to the current financial reserve policy (top table)
compared with the minimum fund balance calculation when GASB 68 is excluded (bottom table).
CURRENT CALCULATION OF MINIMUM FUND BALANCE
Foster
Surface
Removing effects of GASB 68
Water
Sewer
Golf
Water
(a) + (b) = (c)
Utility
Utility
Course
Utility
(a) 2016 Unrestricted Balance
6,692,750
7,826,985
117,982
2,602,903
(b) Prior Year Revenues
6,484,496
9,020,998
1,481,791
5,086,199
(c) Minimum Fund Balance'
103%
87%
8%
51%
1 Current City policy requires unrestricted balances of enterprise
funds to equal or exceed 20% of prior year revenue.
111%
90%
46%
68%
PROPOSED CALCULATION OF MINIMUM FUND BALANCE
Foster ':
Surface
Removing effects of GASB 68
Water
Sewer
Golf
Water
(a + b) + (c) = (d)
Utility ;
Utility ;
Course
Utility
(a) 2016 Unrestricted Balance
6,692,750
7,826,985
117,982
2,602,903
(b) GASB 68 calculation
499,836
290,202
568,376
841,678
(c) Prior Year Revenues
6,484,496
9,020,998
1,481,791
5,086,199
(d) Minimum Fund Balance
111%
90%
46%
68%
RECOMMENDATION
The Finance Committee is asked to recommend passing the revised Financial Reserve Policy
and forward that recommendation to the Committee of the Whole on November 13, and to the full
Council on November 20.
ATTACHMENTS
• Financial Reserve Policy Resolution
154
LDin
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, REVISING THE PREVIOUSLY
ADOPTED FINANCIAL RESERVE POLICY TO ELIMINATE THE
EFFECTS OF GASB 68 FOR PURPOSES OF CALCULATING
THE UNRESTRICTED BALANCES OF THE ENTERPRISE
FUNDS; AND REPEALING RESOLUTION NO. 1861.
WHEREAS, for the well-being and sustainability of the community, its residents,
and businesses, it is important that the City of Tukwila be prepared to respond to any and
all situations that could result in a risk and/or crisis to the City's finances including, but not
limited to, revenue shortfalls and unanticipated expenditures; and
WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the City Council of the City of Tukwila to provide
policy direction for the City's biennial budget through the passage of motions and
ordinances, adoption of resolutions, and final approval of said budget; and
WHEREAS, a financial reserve policy establishes, attains, and restores minimum
fund balances, including self-insured health care reserve funds, and specifies review and
reporting of such; and
WHEREAS, beginning in 2015 the City was required to implement Governmental
Accounting Standards Board Statement 68 (GASB 68) related to accounting and
reporting for pension plans; and
WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the City to report the effects of GASB 68 in the
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), even though the effects are not a
current liability of the City; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to eliminate the effects of GASB 68 for purposes of
calculating the unrestricted balances of the Enterprise Funds;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA,
WASHINGTON, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Minimum Fund Balances.
A. At the close of each fiscal year, the General Fund unassigned balance shall
equal or exceed 18% and the Contingency Fund reserve balance shall equal or
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exceed 10% of the previous year General Fund revenue, exclusive of significant non-
operating, non-recurring revenues such as real estate sales or transfers in from other
funds.
B. At the close of each fiscal year, the unrestricted balances of the Enterprise
Funds shall equal or exceed 20% of the previous year revenue, exclusive of the
effects of GASB Statement 68, as well as significant non-operating, non-recurring
revenues such as real estate sales, transfers in from other funds or debt proceeds.
C. Use or draw down of minimum balances shall occur only upon
recommendation of City Administration and approval by City Council through a
resolution. Should use or draw down occur, the City Administration shall establish a
plan, no later than the end of the fiscal year following the year of decline, to restore
the fund balance to the prescribed minimum level. The plan shall be presented to
and approved by the City Council.
Section 2. One-time Revenue Reserve. A One-time Revenue Reserve shall be
established and maintained in the Contingency Fund. The One-time Revenue
Reserve shall be credited annually with 10% of the prior year one-time revenues to
the extent General Fund surplus for the year is sufficient to cover the reserve funding.
Use of the reserve shall occur only upon recommendation by City Administration and
approval by City Council through a resolution.
Section 3. Self-insured Health Care Funds. The City shall maintain a reserve in
each of its self-insured health care funds in an amount equal to 1.5 times, or 150%, of
the actuarially determined IBNR (incurred but not reported) balance. Use of the
reserve shall occur only upon recommendation by City Administration and approval by
City Council through a resolution.
Section 4. A report showing compliance with the Financial Reserve Policy shall
be provided to the City Council on an annual basis, no later than July 1 of each year.
Section 5. Repealer. Resolution No. 1861 is hereby repealed.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON,
at a Regular Meeting thereof this day of , 2017.
ATTEST/AUTHENTICATED:
Christy O'Flaherty, MMC, City Clerk Dennis Robertson, Council President
APPROVED AS TO FORM BY:
Rachel B. Turpin, City Attorney
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Filed with the City Clerk:
Passed by the City Council:
Resolution Number:
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