If your municipality wants priority consideration for a number of New York State discretionary funds, it has to obtain Pro-Housing Community Certification.

Although attempts to gain support of affordable housing initiatives in New York faltered earlier this year, Governor Hochul remains committed to boosting affordable housing by 800,000 units within a decade. On August 31, the Pro-Housing Communities Program opened for business, providing financial incentives for municipalities to get on board with affordable housing growth. Municipalities that either meet affordable housing growth metrics or commit to the program’s principles will be rewarded by earning priority consideration for more than $650 million in state discretionary funds.

The press release announcing the program notes, “Certified Pro-Housing Communities will be considered first among localities applying for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI); NY Forward program;  Regional Council Capital Fund; capital projects from the Market New York program; New York Main Street program; Long Island Investment Fund (LIIF); Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund;  Public Transportation Modernization Enhancement Program (MEP); and any other funding where future appropriation language designates it as a Pro-Housing Community program.”

To apply for Pro-Housing Community Certification, an authorized official must email a letter of intent. Then, applicants must provide information on local zoning codes and housing permit approvals in the past five years in the templates provided. A municipality must show approval of permits increasing housing stock by 1% (downstate) or 0.33% (upstate) over the past year or permits increasing housing stock by 3% (downstate) or 1% (upstate) over the past 3 years. Within 90 days, the municipality will receive a decision about certification.

If your municipality hasn’t met housing growth requirements, it can still obtain certification by passing a defined Pro-Housing Resolution.

By March 31, of each year, localities must resubmit any zoning updates and housing permit data to remain certified. For the application and complete program details, click here.

This is just one of a number of executive actions the Governor is taking to address New York’s housing crisis. Additional actions include a program to advance residential projects halted by the expiration of 421-A in Gowanus; a requirement that state entities ID state-owned lands that may support housing; and a portal collecting and sharing community housing and zoning data.

In our neck of the woods, this summer, the City of Kingston bolstered its efforts related to affordable housing development by adopting a new form-based zoning code designed to make it easier for development to occur and establishing a Department of Housing Initiatives to support the City’s housing planning.

If you’re interested in learning more about how the lack of affordable housing impacts New York and its residents (or former residents), check out these articles from Pew Research and The Fiscal Policy Institute.

To free you up to focus on this, please know RBT CPAs is here to support all of your tax, audit, and advisory needs. Give us a call to learn how we can work together to promote your business success.

RBT CPAs is proud to say all our work is prepared in the U.S.A. – we never offshore. As a result, you get peace of mind that your operation’s financial and confidential information is handled by full-time, local staff who have met our high standards for quality, ethics, and professionalism.

Tax revenues are slowing. Spending is up.

Talk of an economic downturn continues, with a lot of speculation about when, how intense, and how long. What does all of this mean? Let’s take a look.

Starting with the NY State Budget

In May, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released an Enacted Budget Report for FY 2023-2024. Spending is increasing by 3%. Much of the increase represents recurring expenses (i.e., full funding of school Foundation Aid, mental health service investments, and increased funding for health care and human services workers). There’s also temporary budget increases for emergency rental assistance and the MTA.

While the state’s reserve funds of $6.26 billion will help, there could be challenges ahead due to the new recurring costs occurring at the same time Federal Covid aid ends and a possible economic downturn. To address a budget gap, tax increases and/or spending cuts may need to be on the agenda for future budget discussions.

Turning to Tax Revenues

For state fiscal year (SFY) 2022-2023, New York’s tax revenue was $2.9 billion more than expected, but $9.5 billion or 7.8% less than the prior year largely due to a decrease in personal income tax revenue.  For SFY 2023-2024, revenues are projected to decrease for the second year in a row by 3.9%, as temporary federal aid is depleted and tax collections decline.

While personal income tax revenues are down, sales revenues are up but slowing. In the first quarter of 2023, sales revenues increased 7.1% over the same period in 2022, but slowed as the quarter progressed (from 9.2% in January to .03% in March).

By May, state sales tax collections increased 1.1% over the prior year, making it the third consecutive month where growth was lower than 2%, which can make it tougher to maintain fiscal balance, especially since much of the increase was from NYC collections (in fact, 47 out of 57 counties experienced a decline). Click here to see Monthly Local Sales Tax Collections by County and Region.

Unemployment

New York’s unemployment rate dropped from 4.1% to 3.9% from May of 2022 through May of 2023, with a steady decrease from March through May of 2023. The state’s labor force grew from 9,633,295 in May of 2022 to 9,703,853 in May of 2023, which includes steady growth continuing March through May of 2023. This positive momentum echoes what is happening nationally. According to CNN.com, “Morgan Stanley seems to agree, telling clients that the May jobs report ‘continues to point to a soft landing for the economy,’ a Fed term for raising rates without triggering a recession.”

Inflation

As reported by CNBC.com, “Inflation slowed in May to the lowest rate in two years (4%), largely due to  declining energy (i.e., gas and electricity) prices, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Still, household budget items are up and there may be more inflationary pressure with more infrastructure projects getting underway.

Interest Rates

According to TheAscent.com, between May of 2022 and May of 2023, Federal Reserve interest rates increased from .75% – 1% to 5% – 5.25%. In other words, it’s more expensive to borrow money. The hope is periodic increases will help cool down inflation rather than lead us into a recession.

Recession?

On June 8, RSM reported, “We estimate a 75% probability of an economic downturn over the next 12 months. While that is significant, it also implies a 25% chance of a soft landing for the economy.”

Credit Rating

As shared on PIMCO.com, credit rating downgrades aren’t expected, but upgrades may slow down: “In the first quarter of 2023, Moody’s upgraded three times as many U.S. public finance credits than it downgraded… Local governments have seen similar upgrade momentum, even in cities like New York and Chicago that have projected budget deficits. Many have used unprecedented federal fiscal relief and better-than-expected tax collections to boost their reserves, and will likely benefit from the relative stability of property tax revenues.”

What Next?

For a while now, NY State Comptroller DiNapoli has regularly repeated the same message: “Being prepared for a slowdown is especially important in this uncertain economy.” If you agree and are looking for next steps, the Academy for New York State’s Local Officials is offering an upcoming webinar entitled “Multiyear Financial Planning” on July 19. It’s designed to “help local governments create an effective multiyear financial planning process that helps identify and manage potential fiscal difficulties before crises emerge.” The webinar discussion will include making good long-term revenue and expenditure projections; measuring benefits from proposed local actions; and documenting projections. Click here to register. 

While you’re focusing on staying up to speed on all of the factors impacting your municipality’s finances, you can trust RBT CPAs professionals to hand your accounting, tax, audit, and advisory service needs. RBT CPAs is here to help you succeed — give us a call.

RBT CPAs is proud to say all of its work is prepared in the U.S.A.  We never outsource outside the U.S.A.

As the six-month anniversary of the passing of New York’s Environmental Bond Act approaches, two questions come to mind: “How much progress has been made?” and “What’s next?”

In November of 2022, the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act was overwhelmingly approved by New York voters to promote water quality, reduce pollution, and protect natural resources and communities from the effects of climate change. The Act will give state agencies and local governments access to funding, while providing leverage to take advantage of other state and Federal funding sources as well. The state has committed to ensuring at least 35% of funds – with a goal of 40% — go to disadvantaged communities.

According to GothamGazette (Geringer-Sameth, Ethan. February 13, 2023): “State officials expect to issue the first bonds under the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins April 1.” Between April of 2023 and March of 2024, $100 million is expected to be financed. Still, spending oversight, administration, staffing, and infrastructure are in development.

To get the ball rolling, the Hochul administration charged the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) with leading a group of eight state agencies to set the criteria and guidelines for funding. The agencies involved include the DEC, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); Environmental Facilities Corporation; Department of Agriculture and Markets; Department of Transportation; Department of State; Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation; Adirondack Park Agency; Office of General Services; and Homes and Community Renewals.

According to NY.gov’s webpage on the act, “Governor Hochul directed an inter-agency working group to begin identifying needs for environmental funding across the State. The group will develop program logistics, including how projects will be selected and how funds will be delivered, through a transparent and collaborative process.” Next, the state will embark on an Educational Listening Tour to discuss what the Bond Act will fund and get input on criteria for potential projects.

It looks like progress is already underway for clean water infrastructure projects, which can leverage the infrastructure already set up for Water Infrastructure Improvement (WIIA) and Intermunicipal Grants (IMG) programs. On March 15, the Environmental Facilities Corporation announced proposed eligibility guidelines and is inviting public comment through 5 p.m. on April 14 (submit written comments to Máire Cunningham at NYSWaterGrants@efc.ny.gov or 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207).

No doubt, more information will be forthcoming soon. While your municipality prepares to help your community maximize these and Federal funds, RBT CPAs is here to partner with you on your accounting, tax, audit and advisory service needs. We’re one of the leading accounting firms in the Hudson Valley and we believe we succeed when we help you succeed. To learn more, give us a call.

Along with the new year comes the start date of a new accounting and reporting requirement – namely, GASB 96, which arose as a result of migration from legacy IT systems (requiring the purchase of a license or title) to cloud-based solutions (requiring subscriptions).

If your fiscal year started July 1, 2022 or later, your financial statement must reflect GASB 96.

Who is subject to GASB 96? All state and local government entities. This includes general purpose governments, public benefit corporations and authorities, public employee retirement systems, public utilities, hospitals and other healthcare providers, and colleges and universities.

What does it cover? Subscription-based information technology arrangements (SBITAs). A SBITA is “a contract that conveys control of the right to use another party’s (a SBITA vendor’s) information technology (IT) software, alone or in combination with tangible capital assets (the underlying IT assets), as specified in the contract for a period of time in an exchange or exchange-like transaction.” (Source: GASB Summary of Statement No. 96)  Examples include office, calendar and email tools; online conferencing or payment tools; cloud computing arrangements; cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning systems; and more.

In addition to subscription payments, costs can be accounted for based on whether they were part of a preliminary project, initial implementation, or operational and additional implementation stage. (Training costs should be expensed when they’re incurred, regardless of stage.)

Short-term SBITAs – defined as having a maximum possible term, including options to extend – to 12 months or less are excluded from GASB 96.

What needs to be disclosed? Information including the amount of the subscription asset, accumulated amortization, other payments not included in the measurement of a subscription liability, principal and interest requirements for the subscription liability, and more.

When do we need to get started? If you haven’t already, get started now – it’s especially important if your fiscal year end is June 30, 2023 or September 30, 2023. As was the case for GASB 87 Lease Standards, you need time to gather and analyze all SBITA-related contracts to not only determine which ones fall under GASB 96, but also their components. If a contract has multiple components, each component should be accounted for as a separate SBITA or non-subscription component, with contract prices allocated accordingly (unless a best estimate price allocation can’t be determined; then, it can be treated as one SBITA).

Why did the Government Accounting Standards Board adopt GASB 96? The Board adopts standards when the costs incurred “are justified when compared to the overall public benefit.” In this case, perceived benefits include more consistent accounting and reporting and more comparable information about SBITAs. In addition, certain aspects of GASB 96 provide cost relief, like the exclusion of “contracts with stand-alone tangible capital assets and contracts with a combination of a tangible capital asset and an insignificant software component”; the ability to “report a multi-component contract as a single SBITA when determining that a best estimate to allocate the contract price to multiple components is not practicable; and permitting but not requiring “governments to include capitalizable outlays associated with the initial implementation stage and the operation and additional implementation stage in the measurement of the subscription asset recognized at transition.” (Source: GASB Summary of Statement No. 96)

For additional information, refer to these Federal and New York State resources:

• GASB Summary of Statement No. 96
• Statement No. 96 of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board
• Financial Reporting Updates: The New GASB Standards by the NYS Comptroller Office
• Office of the New York State Comptroller: New GASB Standards (includes reporting templates)

You may also want to consider vetting and possibly using a GASB 96 platform or software service as a resource.

2023 is going to be a big year in terms of GASB changes and compliance. Get peace of mind that your municipality complies by partnering with an accounting, tax, audit, and advisory firm you can trust. RBT CPAs has been serving municipal clients in the Hudson Valley and beyond for over 50 years. Give us a call and let’s see what we can do for you.

As you start your 2023 planning, make sure Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) changes taking effect next year are on your radar. Following are some highlights…

GASB Statement No. 96 (Subscription Based IT Arrangement or SBITA). A SBITA is a contract that gives one the right to use another party’s IT software for a defined period in an exchange or exchange-like transaction. Examples include cloud computing arrangements; Enterprise Resource Planning systems; online conferencing or payment tools; as well as email, calendar, and office tools. The standard is similar to 2022 implementation for leases and takes effect for fiscal year 2023 reporting.

GASB Statement No. 94 (Public-Private and Public-Public Partnerships and Availability Payment Arrangements). GASB No. 94 defines PPP as an arrangement where a government (the transferor) contracts with an operator for public services by giving the right to operate or use a non-financial asset (i.e., infrastructure) for a period in an exchange or exchange-like transaction. The transferor can change and approve which services the operator provides, to whom, and prices that can be charged. What’s more, the transferor is entitled to residual interest in the service utility of the PPP asset at the end of the arrangement. There are other special arrangements for SCAs and APAs. GASB No. 94 takes effect for fiscal year 2023 reporting.

GASB Statement No. 100 (Accounting Changes and Error Corrections). This amendment of No. 62 takes effect fiscal years starting June 15, 2023. (Earlier adoption is encouraged.) GASB No. 100 defines accounting changes as changes in accounting principles, changes in estimates, and/or changes to or within the financial reporting entity. Implementation of changes/corrections must be identified as prospective or retrospective. Prior period financial statements must be restated. Financial statements must display the aggregate amount of adjustments to and restatements of beginning net position, fund balance, or fund net position by reporting unit.

Required supplementary information (RSI) – like Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) for earlier periods than those included in basic financial statements – should be restated for error corrections – but is not required for changes in accounting principles.

Financial reporting entity changes should be reported by adjusting the current period’s beginning balances. Estimated changes should be recognized in the current period and reported prospectively.

Finally, financial statements should reflect the organization has adopted Statement No. 100 provisions; note disclosures detailing changes, errors, impacts on starting balances; and highlight why the new methods are preferable (i.e., understandability, reliability, relevance, timeliness, consistency, and/or comparability). Financial statements must note consideration of Statement 100, as well as the date of adoption.

GASB Statement No. 101 Enhancements to compensated absence recognition, measurement and disclosure requirements take effect fiscal years starting December 15, 2023. (Earlier adoption is encouraged).

Statement No. 16 (Accounting for Compensated Absences) is being replaced by Statement No. 101 (Compensated Absences) to reflect paid time off practices (including vacation and sick time) in today’s workplace. The enhanced standards focus on recognition, measurement, and reporting.

Under Statement No. 101, an unused leave liability (including sick leave) will be recognized if the leave is attributed to services rendered; accumulates; and is likely to be used for time off or paid/settled. This applies even if the leave hasn’t been used or has been used but hasn’t been paid/settled. One exception: for parental and military leaves, as well as jury duty, liability is recognized at the start of the leaves/duty.

Measurement will be based on an employee’s pay rate in effect on the financial reporting date, unless a compensated absence arrangement calls for a different pay rate at the time of payment (for example, sick pay based on 50% of the employee’s pay rate). As is the case under GASB 16, salary related payments – including the employer’s share of payroll related taxes, defined pension contributions, and other post-employment benefit plans – should be part of the compensated absence liability calculation.

Finally, certain requirements are being eliminated or made optional for financial disclosures. The government funds used to liquidate liability for compensated absences will not have to be disclosed. Also, governments can choose how to identify increases and decreases in long-term liability change, as either gross or net amounts. Financial statements must note consideration of Statement 101, as well as the date of adoption.

For complete details, visit the GASB website at www.gasb.org or give RBT CPAs a call. We’re a leading accounting, tax, and audit firm in the Hudson Valley and beyond. We pride ourselves on our knowledge and application of accounting rules for government organizations. 2023 is going to be a big year in terms of GASB changes and compliance. Get peace of mind that your municipality complies by partnering with a firm you can trust. Give RBT CPAs a call today.

With all the financial uncertainties that exist today, no doubt your constituents would be pleased to know your municipality is doing its part to bring down costs and operate responsibly by conducting an energy audit.

As an added benefit, your actions can serve as an example and help others in your community save, while living greener and cleaner.

Energy Star, EPA sets the standard for energy audits.

According to its website, it “has helped dozens of state and local governments design and implement voluntary policies and programs focused on commercial and multifamily buildings to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate local economic growth. And for the dozens of governments that have chosen to pass laws requiring the use of Portfolio Manager and ENERGY STAR metrics, EPA has provided expert advice on the most appropriate use of the program’s tools and resources.”

Its online benchmarking tool helps you create a comprehensive energy management program by identifying buildings to target for improvements; learning best practices; prioritizing investments; verifying savings; reporting performance; and more. It can also help you measure and track water use, waste and materials, and greenhouse gas emissions. As an added benefit, making improvements can help maintain the integrity of municipal buildings and decrease the need for more costly updates in the future. (Here’s an overview of how the program benefits local and state governments and policymakers.)

While you’re at it, check out the resources available through the Hudson Valley Regional Council, mid-Hudson’s representative for the NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities Institute (CECI).

While reducing energy costs, CECI actions can help move your municipality forward in supporting and driving clean energy goals. “NYSERDA developed a list of high-impact actions that local governments can take to save energy, cut costs, and earn designation.” Earn points for grant funding with a variety of programs:

• Make it easier and faster to install solar in your community. View Toolkit
• Improve energy code compliance for new and renovated buildings. View Toolkit
• Establish a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing program. View Toolkit
• Save energy and money by replacing old equipment with new smart and efficient technology. View Toolkit
• Convert a municipal facility to all electric with ground- or air-source heat pumps. View Toolkit
• Purchase renewable energy for municipal electricity needs. View Toolkit
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions. View Toolkit
• Reduce streetlight energy use by up to 65% with energy-efficient LED lighting. View Toolkit
• Need new vehicles? Go electric. View Toolkit
• Adopt a policy that requires annual reporting of energy used in buildings. Set up a system for measuring and sharing energy use data to help identify opportunities to cut energy waste and associated costs. View Toolkit
• Engage your community with a campaign promoting solar, clean heating, and cooling and energy efficiency. Action grants are eligible up to $60K. View Toolkit
• County-hosted training on how to manage clean energy development in your community. View Toolkit
• Choose your community’s energy supply, negotiate lower rates, and support the use of renewable resources. View Toolkit

For detailed information on each of these actions, including requirements and recommendations, or to determine which actions are right for you, read the Guidance Document [PDF] or contact your Clean Energy Community Coordinator.

While you’re focusing on how to help your municipality and ultimately taxpayers save money on energy, you can count on RBT CPAs to get the numbers right. We’re a leading accounting, tax and audit firm in the Hudson Valley and beyond, that believes we succeed when we help you succeed. Give us a call today.

Despite the costs for goods and services being at historic highs, state and local governments are in a solid place to withstand the many economic headwinds blowing their way; still, it appears best to proceed with caution.

The Good

Most municipalities are in good shape with strong rainy day reserve funds thanks to Federal programs like the American Rescue Plan Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. Add to that benefits from increased sales revenues and a hot housing market (although signs are pointing to it cooling down), and state and local governments are in as good a place as any to weather economic and financial storms.

Earlier this year, the Volkner Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research hosted a briefing on inflation and recession risks. Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi said, “State and local governments are in good shape to navigate whatever … path we go down.’’ New York Governor Hochul reiterated this mid-year, indicating the state is prepared for the worst and in a good position to weather downturns. According to the National League of Cities, Federal programs have bolstered cities’ ability to deal with inflation and “led to consistent spending for normal government operations and services, helping local governments keep their communities running with minimal interruption.”

The Bad

The cost of capital projects and services is up and while a certain amount of inflation is factored into estimates and budgets, the current environment is prompting questions about whether projects started can be finished; whether projects should be cut or delayed; and whether there are other funding that can help keep projects moving. At the same time, some municipalities are experiencing low-to-no responses for construction Request for Proposals (RFPs) and are finding it tough to compete with so many other options available to construction companies that are more flexible and don’t include fixed budgets.

Then there are salary, pension, and other benefit costs – they’re going up and not an option as municipalities compete with the private sector to attract and retain much-needed talent. How far they go and whether they’re sustainable remains to be seen.

Will It Get Ugly?

It depends on what happens next and how well-prepared each municipality is.

There are potential impacts on credit. As reported by S&P Global, how credit quality is pressured depends on “the duration of elevated inflation growth” and “state law and revenue mix.” Overall, municipalities could see higher social service spending, but should be able to withstand pressures on credit quality at least in the short term.

Increases in food insecurity are already occurring, and there are expectations that Medicaid and unemployment trust fund costs may go up. Increasing benefit costs for retirees and existing employees could seriously impact future pension liabilities. Whether there are local income taxes, capital gains tax revenue, caps on annual revenue increases, debt and other factors also come into play.

As reported by the  Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, rural areas are feeling inflation more than urban areas, so municipalities may be experiencing differences depending on location. An Iowa State University report reiterated this finding, noting that those living in non-metro areas with populations under 2,500 or in the countryside are struggling more than their urban counterparts.

Disparities based on the demographics are also coming into play. NBC News reported, “A recent study from University of California San Diego found minority households are being hit especially hard because they spend a larger portion of their income on essentials like housing, electricity, transportation, and food.”

In some states, like New York, residents are taking things into their own hands, migrating to lower-tax states in bigger numbers, having the potential to negatively impact sales and tax revenues now and in the long term.

Still, as reported in the weekly Deloitte Insights issued August 15, July inflation showed signs of slowing; producer prices are decelerating, and labor costs may not be as bad as some think. Month to month and even week to week, the story changes. Whether things end up good, bad, or ugly remains to be seen. For now, the consensus is municipalities are in as good a place as any for what comes next.

Remember, RBT CPAs is an accounting, tax, and audit partner you can depend on through good times and challenging ones. If you need a trusted partner that provides the highest levels of professionalism, service, and value, give us a call.

We recently published an article about NY county gas caps, based on information available in May. Since then, several counties updated how they are handling the cap. In an abundance of caution, we felt it best to update our piece based upon these recent changes.  It should be noted that there is a lot of controversy surrounding the tax and its administration. This may result in additional changes, so it’s best to refer to the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance and NYS Tax Publication 718-F for up-to-date information or simply give us a call.

From June 1 through the end of this year, New York State is giving a tax break on fuel.

Both the sales tax and excise tax on fuel is taking a holiday, June 1 through December 31. Distributors and wholesalers must exclude these taxes from the price charged for motor fuel and highway diesel motor fuel. In addition, county governments have the option to cap the price their applicable sales tax rate is imposed on based on cents per gallon.

As noted in NYS Tax Publication 718-F, “The Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to change their percentage rate sales tax to a cents-per-gallon method, or stay with a percentage rate method. Effective June 1, 2022, several localities have elected to change their method of computing local sales tax on motor fuel, highway diesel motor fuel, and B20 biodiesel sold as qualified fuel. In many of these localities, the local sales tax will no longer be computed using a percentage rate method and will instead be computed on a cents-per-gallon basis.”

Some counties have signed on to offer the tax break – see table below.

Counties Adopting the Cents-per-Gallon Method (Source: NYS Tax Publication 718-F)

¹ Rate will expire on August 31, 2022. ² Rate will expire on November 30, 2022. ³ Rate will expire on December 31, 2022. ⁴ Rate will expire on February 28, 2023.  * Sales and uses made in these cities are subject to cents-per-gallon local tax in addition to the percentage rate local tax.

For help with related taxes or accounting, contact RBT CPAs – a leading firm in the Hudson Valley and one of the top 250 nationwide.

Creating a strong fund balance and reserve policy that has the support of the local community takes work. Following are some do’s and don’ts municipal leaders should keep in mind as they make plans to create, maintain, and use a fund balance. This article will focus on the fund balance in the General Fund, but many points can be applicable to fund balance in other funds.

At its simplest, a fund balance is the difference between assets and liabilities. It can help ensure a municipality has enough money so essential public services don’t need to be cut or taxes raised due to unexpected expenses or events.

When managed strategically and effectively, using fund balance to balance municipal budget can help a community mitigate risk and weather economic downturns; ensure consistent delivery of essential services; respond to and rebound from the effects of a natural disaster; fund capital improvements; build a strong credit rating and benefit from lower debt costs; and more.

To maximize the potential advantages of a fund balance:

• Establish a written policy to specify the scope and purpose of the fund; set an appropriate minimum and maximum balance level; define how funds can be used and replenished; reveal what happens when the balance drops below defined levels; and related time frames.
• Communication in local government with the community about the general fund balance guidelines, especially when there are large changes, so you can manage expectations and minimize the type of speculation that can hurt trust in local government.
• Identify minimum fund levels through fund balance accounting to ensure uninterrupted service delivery and financial stability for the first two to three months while property taxes are collected. (A municipality primarily dependent on property taxes should have a larger fund balance than one with other revenue sources.) Focus on the general fund, although “financial resources available in other funds should also be considered in assessing the adequacy of unrestricted fund balance in the general fund.” (Source: GFOA Fund Balance Guidelines for the General Fund)
• Think ahead. Consider public entity risks to which the municipality may be exposed that are outside your insurance coverage. Not only will a strong fund balance help minimize risks, but it can also help fund future capital outlays. While reducing associated borrowing and interest for new infrastructure and equipment, it can also improve the municipality’s credit rating (for example, a fund balance between 15% and 30% earns an “Aa” rating from Moody’s).

To avoid negative public scrutiny and potential loss of community support and trust, do not just use your fund balance as a place to store extra money. Also, don’t use fund balance for recurring expenditures. Funding recurring expenditures means revenues are not covering every day expenditures; your fund balance will quickly be depleted and the municipality may be forced to raise taxes significantly. Finally, don’t minimize risks that should be addressed by the fund. “Research cited by GFOA has found that human judgment alone typically underestimates risks by about 50%.”

For additional information on managing fund balance, refer to these resources:

• New York’s Local Government Management Guide for Reserve Funds
• Best practices from the GFOA
• Financial Condition Analysis
• Understanding the Budget Process
• Government Finance Review: Stress Testing Your Reserves with Advanced Analytical Techniques

For tax, auditing, and consulting services related to your General Fund, contact RBT CPAs.