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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFIN 02-13 CLtlf O~ Report To Council PICKERING Report Number: FIN 02-13 Date: February 25, 2013 From: Paul Bigioni Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor Subject: 2013 Current Budget and Financial Statements Excluded Expenses Reporting as Required by Ontario Regulation 284/09 Recommendation: 1. That Report FIN 02-13 of the Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor be received; and, 2. That Report FIN 02-13 of the Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor regarding the exclusion of certain expenses from the 2013 Budget be adopted in accordance with the provisions of Ontario Regulation 284/09 of the Municipal Act 2001. Executive Summary: Under Ontario Regulation 284/09, municipalities are required to report on whether amortization expense, post-employment benefits and other expenses are included in the annual current budget. This Regulation allows a municipality to exclude estimated expenses for these items from the 2013 annual budget, however, the munici.pality is required to report on the financial effects. The required reporting provides a reconciliation between the budget preparation method (cash flow) and the Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) standards for financial statement reporting purposes. Adoption of this report by Council fulfills the reporting requirements of the Regulation. Financial Implications: There is no financial impact from the exclusion'of these expenses as the annual budget is prepared on a cash flow basis. This document provides an accounting reconciliation between the two reporting methods employed in the annual Current Budget and the 2013 Audited Financial Statements.. Discussion: Ontario Regulation 284/09 (O. Reg. 284/09) under-the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, C. 25 as amended, allows a municipality to exclude expenses from the 2013 Budget for the following: i Amortization expenses ii Post-employment benefit expenses Starting with the 2009 year end, accounting standards and reporting requirements have changed dramatically; most significantly with the introduction of tangible capital asset accounting. The new accounting standards, however, do not require budgets to be Report FIN 02-13 Date: February 25, 2013 Subject: 2013 Current Budget and Financial Statements Page 2 Excluded Expenses Reporting as Required by Ontario Regulation 284/09 prepared on the same basis. The City of Pickering, like most municipalities, continues to prepare budgets on the traditional cash basis, which provides a clear and concise understanding of critical budget information. The annual budget process is an important municipal exercise that considers plans for the current and future activities of the City. One of the main outcomes of this process is to set the tax rate which Council is asked to approve. The tax rate is determined by the cash basis of accounting and does not include PSAB reporting requirements or accrual accounting and accounting for non-financial assets and liabilities such as amortization (depreciation) and post-employment benefits. Amortization Expenses By definition, amortization expense, frequently referred to as depreciation, in its simplest terms, is defined as the annual expense or use of the asset over its estimated useful life. Amortization expense is a tool used by financial professionals to predict the future annual financial commitment required for asset replacements. For 2013, the estimated amortization expense is $9.734 million, based upon net assets of $187.7 million. Post-Employment Benefit Expense Post-Employment Benefit expense represents the change in the accrued benefit liability for both post-retirement extended healthcare benefits and accrued sick leave entitlement. Since the City is self insured for the purpose of workplace injury claims, it also represents the accrued liability for Workplace Safety and Insurance Act Benefits. PSAB standards do not require liabilities associated with these benefits to be fully funded, however, actuarial reviews are conducted to estimate these unfunded liabilities which are projected to increase by approximately $634,000 for 2013. Financial Summary The estimated change in the accumulated surplus of the City for 2013 resulting from the exclusion of these expenses from the budget is as follows: PSAB Additions to 2013 Budget (Reduces Surplus - expenses that were excluded) Amortization $9,734,000 Post-Employment Benefits 634,000 Total PSAB Additions $10,368,000 Report FIN 02-13 Date: February 25, 2013 Subject: 2013 Current Budget and Financial Statements Page 3 Excluded Expenses Reporting as Required by Ontario Regulation 284/09 PSAB Reduction to 2013 Budget (Increases Surplus) Tangible Capital Asset Acquisition $(14,003,781) Debt Principal Payments (3,939,766) Total PSAB Reductions $(17,943,547,) Net (Increase) Decrease in Accumulated Surplus $(7,575,547) Attachments: Not applicable Prepared By: Approved / Endorsed By: James Halsall ~ Stan Karwowski (Acting) Manager, Budgets & (Acting) Division d, Finance & Treasurer Internal Audit i t Paul Bigioni Director, Corporate e ice & City Solictor Recommended for the consideration of Pickering City Council Tony Prevedel, P.Eng. Chief Administrative Officer