2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report

 As of the close of the current fiscal year, the City’s governmental funds reported combined ending fund balances of $221.1 million, a net decrease of approximately $23.2 million in comparison with the prior year fund balance. Approximately 73.5% of this total amount or $162.4 million is restricted or non-spendable and 26.5% or $58.7 million is Committed, Assigned or Unassigned, including $15.6 million appropriated for next year’s budget.  At the end of the current fiscal year, the total fund balance for the General Fund specifically was $92.4 million. Approximately 42.6% or $39.4 million of this balance is restricted for accounts receivable and encumbrances and $6.1 million is assigned for appropriation next year. It is also the City’s policy to hold aside 9% of the subsequent year’s General Fund budget as “unassigned” to remain available for working capital, but it may also be appropriated for emergencies. This amounted to $29.6 million as of June 30, 2021. Amounts remaining that are either non-spendable, committed or assigned for other purposes totaled approximately $17.3 million.  Charges for services for the City’s largest enterprise activity, the Water Resources Fund, comprising water and sewer operations increased $2.7 million or 2.2% in FY 2021. Rate increases for customers both inside and outside the city limits were suspended during FY 2020-21 due to the pandemic. The cost of the City’s water supply purchased from three neighboring municipalities in the current year was approximately $2.9 million compared to $2.8 million last year, and is budgeted at $2.9 million in FY 2022 for purchases from Reidsville, Winston-Salem, and Burlington. These interlocal arrangements will continue to be in place to keep the water lines “fresh” and to ensure additional supply in emergency or drought conditions. Current year contributions of $933,710 were made to the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority (“PTRWA”) for certain ongoing administration and operations associated with the Randleman Dam, which is fully operational. This project is being funded by a group of local government units and will supplement Greensboro’s water supply needs for the long term. The City’s total water rights in the Randleman Dam project, recorded as an Intangible Asset, are approximately $73.4 million, net of $19.4 million in amortization, as of June 30, 2021. Amortization of the water rights is calculated over a 50 year period. The City began receiving water from the PTRWA in October 2010, culminating a 20-year project that will ensure the City’s long-term water supply. Water purchases totaling $2.7 million were paid to the PTRWA in Fiscal Year 2021 and are budgeted at $2.7 million in FY 2022. At June 30, 2021, Revenue Bond debt service coverage was 2.0 times, meeting the targeted goal.  Certain deficit fund balances were reported in the State/Federal/Other Grants Fund ($5,800,236), Street and Sidewalk Capital Project Fund ($2,849,378), and the Performing Arts Operating Fund ($7,861,033), respectively, as of the end of the fiscal year. The grant-related project fund deficits are from current expenses that were incurred at the end of the fiscal year but reimbursement had not yet been received from the federal and state granting agencies. These project fund deficits will be eliminated with the future reimbursements of federal and state grants. The opening of the new performance venue was delayed due to state-imposed coronavirus restrictions. Revenues generated from the facility and proposed federal grant funding will be used to eliminate the deficit.  The General Fund budget for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 was adopted with a $.6206 per $100 assessed valuation property tax rate. The total FY 2021 general levy tax rate remained the same from prior year at $.6625 and includes $.0069 for housing initiatives and $.0350 for public transit. Two special historic district taxes and a downtown business district tax for certain additional improvements are also taxed as “special district” rates.

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