HomeMy WebLinkAboutFY13 PAFRTown of Fountain Hills, Arizona
Popular Annual Financial Report
for fiscal year 2012-2013, ending June 30, 2013
Page 3 Page 5 Page 7 Page 9 Page 8
2012-2013
Financial
Overview
Net
Position
Property
Taxes
Community
Profile
Capital
Investments
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report
Members of the Administration Department,
Finance Division, are pleased to present the
Town of Fountain Hills Popular Annual Finan-
cial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30,
2013. This report is intended to present an acces-
sible overview of the Town’s financial position
and policies, and its commitment to providing
responsive services and programs in a fiscally
responsible manner.
We share with you details of how the Town’s
revenue is generated, where the dollars are spent,
and how the local economy impacts Fountain
Hills’ overall financial status. Above all, our goal
is to provide you with an opportunity to better
understand the many financial aspects that affect
your local government.
The financial information provided here is
drawn from detailed information found within
the fiscal year 2012-2013 Comprehensive An-
nual Financial Report (CAFR). The financial
statements were prepared in conformance with
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(GAAP) and audited by an independent account-
ing firm, receiving an unqualified (or clean)
opinion. The numbers contained within the
CAFR were obtained by employing the basis of
accounting as prescribed by the Governmental
Accounting Standards Board (GASB).
In short, the highest standards of accounting
principles have been utilized to ensure full finan-
cial disclosure and accountability. Recognition
of this commitment is evidenced by the Town
attaining the Certificate of Achievement for Ex-
cellence in Financial Reporting for 16 consecu-
tive years, the Distinguished Budget Presentation
Award for 12 consecutive years, and the Award
for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Finan-
cial Reporting for one year. These awards are
presented by the Government Finance Officer’s
Association of the United States and Canada.
While the numbers in this Popular Report
come from an audited source, they are presented
in an abridged, unaudited non-GAAP format.
Citizens who wish to review audited GAAP-
basis financial statements can refer to the Town’s
2012-2013 CAFR, which is available online at
www.fh.az.gov/financial-reports.aspx.
Members of the Finance Division and staff
across the organization are proud to serve this
fine community. We hope that the 2012-2013
Popular Annual Financial Report serves its pur-
pose and helps assure you that every effort is
made to manage the community’s resources
wisely for the benefit of all.
Julie A. Ghetti, MPA, CPA, CGFM
Deputy Town Manager/Finance Director
Page 2
Welcome
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report
MONIES IN
As a governmental entity, the Town uses fund accounting, or self-balancing sets of accounts segre-
gated for specific activities. Governmental funds are used to account for tax supported activities and
the Town receives the funding it needs to provide services to the community from a variety of
sources. The table below presents a summary of governmental revenues by primary type for fiscal
years 2012-2013 and 2011-2012, in order to present a picture of typical revenues from year to year.
The improving national and local economy contributed to an increase in revenues of $631,132 or
3.6% compared to 2012. Although actual investment revenues have increased the Town’s invest-
ment category includes unrealized losses as securities are exchanged for better long term returns.
Intergovernmental revenue includes income and sales tax shared from the State and distributed
based on population—these revenues saw increases consistent with a recovering economy.
Page 3
2012-2013 Financial Overview
In this section, we present an overview of monies in and monies out for the Town of Fountain Hills for
the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013.
REVENUE TYPE DEFINTIONS
Taxes - Sales - the Town charges a local sales tax of 2.6% on most goods purchased in the Town. This tax is in addition to the
State of Arizona rate of 5.6% and the Maricopa County rate of .7%, for a total sales tax rate of 8.9%.
Taxes - Property - the Town does not charge a primary property tax, only a secondary property tax. The secondary tax is for
debt repayment on voter approved bonds (specifically the Library/Museum and open space).
Taxes - Franchise - revenue received from utility (telecommunications) companies for the right to operate within the Town.
Intergovernmental - these are revenues received from other governments or entities, including state shared sales tax, state
shared income tax, fire insurance premium tax and vehicle license tax.
Fines and Forfeitures - these are revenues received from court fines.
Licenses and Permits - includes building permit fees, business and animal license fees, fire inspections, etc.
Charges for Services - these are revenues received from services and/or programs provided by the Town such as recreation
programs.
Rents and Royalties - rental fees for use of the Community Center as well as fees from leases for cellular telephone towers.
Investment Revenue - revenue received from interest on invested monies.
Other - these are revenues that do not fit under another classification.
Revenues 2013 2012
Taxes:
Sales 7,957,163$ 7,787,489$
Property 1,421,614 1,457,702
Franchise 334,668 332,130
Intergovernmental 6,323,047 6,035,448
Fines and Forfeitures 187,251 223,673
Licenses and Permits 570,904 194,976
Charges for Services 162,086 405,663
Rents and Royalties 213,871 206,018
Investment Revenue 69,998 88,877
Other 300,899 178,393
Total Revenues 17,541,501$ 16,910,369$
Governmental Funds
Two Year Revenues Summary by Type
$-$2 $4 $6 $8 $10
Other
Investment Revenue
Rents and Royalties
Charges for Services
Licenses and Permits
Fines and Forfeitures
Intergovernmental
Taxes
Millions of Dollars
2012
2013
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report Page 4
MONIES OUT
The two-year comparison below for Town expenditures shows an increase in the overall cost of op-
erations, overall, 2013 total Governmental Fund expenditures were $943,163, or 5.4% more than in
2012. The Town contracts for law enforcement and emergency medical services—these contracts
include automatic negotiated increases which are reflected in the Public Safety category. General
Government expenditures decreased as a result of reallocating resources to a pavement management
program—this is reflected in the increase in Highways and Streets. Development Services includes
public works and facilities projects that were re-initiated after being deferred during the economic
downturn. Debt service includes the annual principal and interest payment for outstanding bonds
(there were no new bonds during the year).
EXPENDITURE TYPE DEFINTIONS
General Government - functions serving Town operations as a whole, including: Town Council, Town Manager, Town
Clerk, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Town Attorney, and Town Prosecutor.
Public Safety - encompasses the contracted services for Law Enforcement and Fire and Emergency Medical departments.
Highways and Streets - represents the Street division.
Culture and Recreation - encompasses the services, programs and facilities provided by Parks & Recreation, Community
Center and Senior Services.
Development Services - encompasses Engineering, Facilities, Planning, Building Safety, Code Compliance and Mapping and
Graphics divisions.
Capital Outlay - expenditures on the Town’s Capital Improvement Program projects.
Debt Service - interest and other related costs affiliated with the Town’s issuance of debt to support various capital improve-
ment activities.
2012-2013 Financial Overview—continued
Expenditures 2013 2012
General Government 2,699,109$ 2,887,321$
Public Safety 6,022,269 5,869,445
Highways and Streets 2,058,990 1,054,930
Culture and Recreation 1,791,018 1,794,332
Development Services 1,643,757 1,421,787
Debt Service 2,847,043 2,659,887
Capital Outlay 453,002 884,323
Total Expenditures 17,515,188$ 16,572,025$
Governmental Funds
Two Year Expenditures Summary by Type
General
Government
16%
Public Safety
34%
Highways
and Streets
12%
Culture and
Recreation
10%
Development
Services
9%
Debt Service
16%
Capital
Outlay
3%
FY 2013
Expenditures
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report
The Town’s Net Position
The Statement of Net Position presents in-
formation on all the Town’s assets and li-
abilities, with the difference between the
two reported as net position. Over time,
increases and decreases in net position may
serve as a useful indicator of whether the
financial position of the Town is improving
or deteriorating. Net position is categorized
by activity type. Governmental activities
include services largely funded through
revenues such as sales tax and charges for
services.
ASSETS represent what the Town owns.
Current and other assets include cash, in-
vestments, and receivables (money due to
the Town). Capital assets are land, build-
ings, infrastructure, water system, vehicles,
machinery, and equipment. They are bro-
ken down as non-depreciable (land) and
depreciable (all other capital assets).
LIABILITIES represent what the Town owes. Current and other liabilities consist of payables
(money due from the Town to pay what it owes). Non-current liabilities represent debt that the
Town must pay back and is broken out into the current year and future years.
NET POSITION may serve, over time, as useful indicators of a government’s financial position
and consist of three components. The largest portion (77%) reflects the Town’s investment in capi-
tal assets (land, buildings, infrastructure, vehicles, machinery and equipment), less any outstanding
related debt used to acquire those assets. An additional portion of the Town’s net position (5%)
represents resources subject to restrictions on how they may be used. These legal restrictions are
imposed by outside entities such as federal or state governments. An example of such a restriction is
the gasoline tax. The State of Arizona charges the gasoline tax and shares some of it with communi-
ties. These revenues are legally restricted by the State to be used only for expenditure on street pro-
jects. Portions of net assets are also restricted to pay debt service and fund capital projects. The re-
mainder of net position is unrestricted as to purpose.
Page 5
2013
2012
(Restated)
ASSETS
Current and Other Assets 28,460,597$ 27,817,313$
Capital Assets
Non-Depreciable 26,223,288 25,934,778
Depreciable (net)77,222,272 81,921,325
Total Assets 131,906,157 135,673,416
LIABILITIES
Current and Other Liabilities 3,820,104 3,256,053
Long-Term Liabilities
Due Within One Year 2,449,599 2,319,551
Due in More Than One Year 9,501,392 11,928,659
Total Liabilities 15,771,095 17,504,263
NET POSITION
Net Investment in Capital Assets 89,800,560 92,006,103
Restricted 5,721,744 5,951,416
Unrestricted 20,612,758 20,211,634
Total Net Position 116,135,062$ 118,169,153$
Net Position
Town of Fountain Hills
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report
Fund Accounting
State and local governments,
such the Town, employ fund
accounting whereby assets
and liabilities are grouped
according to the purpose for
which they are to be used.
Each grouping, or fund, oper-
ates as a separate self-
balancing set of accounts.
The General Fund is the chief
operating fund of the Town
and General Fund expendi-
tures account for 68% of gov-
ernmental expenditures. Spe-
cial revenue funds group
revenues raised for a specific
purpose. Capital project funds account for the acquisition or construction of major capital facilities.
These intended uses can be demonstrated by viewing the components of governmental fund bal-
ances. The fund balance is an important component of fiscal planning and factors into the Town’s
debt rating, and has been maintained during the recession due to the Town Council’s commitment
to fund on-going services with on-going revenues.
The Town’s Fund Balances
Page 6
General Fund
30%
HURF
3%
Capital Projects
Fund
37%
Municipal
Property
Corporation
Debt Service
Fund
10%
Non-Major
Governmental
Funds
19%
Fund Balances
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report Page 7
One of the biggest bills residents face each year is tied to the property they own. Property tax in
Fountain Hills is administered by Maricopa County, and is based on property value (ad valorem)
and typically included with the resident’s monthly mortgage payment. As the table indicates, only a
small portion (3.3%) of your property taxes go to the Town of Fountain Hills—this portion pays for
the annual payment on the bonds approved by voters for open space and the library/museum build-
ing. The majority supports Fountain Hills schools, Fountain Hills Sanitary District, and various
Maricopa County districts. Currently, property taxes represent one of the smallest and most stable
sources of revenue for the Town at 8.1% of total revenues. Property Taxes
The primary property tax reve-
nue pays for the basic operating
costs of government and
schools. The Town does not
have a primary property tax for
operations.
Revenue from the secondary
property tax pays for the annual
debt payment on bonds that
have been approved by voters
and special taxing districts such
as the Sanitary District; the rate
is set by the County. The rate is
calculated using 10% of the
assessed valuation of property (assigned by the County), dividing by 100 and multiplying by the tax
rate. For example, a residential property with an assessed value of $350,000 would pay approxi-
mately $2,920 ($350,000 x 10% divided by 100 x 8.3442).
$-$0.50 $1.00 $1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 $3.50 $4.00
Maricopa County
State Equalization Tax
Maricopa County Community College
Maricopa County Flood Control District
Maricopa County Library District
Fire Assistance District
Central Arizona Water Conservation
Maricopa Special Health Care District
Fountain Hills Sanitary District
East Valley Institute of Technology
Fountain Hills Unified Schools #98
Town of Fountain Hills
Composition of Property Tax
Entity Primary Rate Secondary Rate
Maricopa County 1.2807$ -$
State Equalization Tax 0.5123 -
Maricopa County Community College 1.2896 0.2444
Maricopa County Flood Control District - 0.1392
Maricopa County Library District - 0.0438
Fire Assistance District - 0.0121
Central Arizona Water Conservation - 0.1000
Maricopa Special Health Care District - 0.1939
Fountain Hills Sanitary District - 0.7954
East Valley Institute of Technology - 0.0500
Fountain Hills Unified Schools #98 2.5543 0.8512
Town of Fountain Hills - 0.2773
Total 5.6369$ 2.7073$
Property Tax Levy - Fiscal Year 2012-2013
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report Page 8
How Capital Investments are Funded
The Town’s capital outlay consists of investments in our roads, equipment, public facilities, and
parks.
Every year, the Town prepares and adopts an on going, Five -Year Capital Improvement Plan that
provides for a comparable annual value of infrastructure improvement projects. Town Council and
staff review and update the plan each year as part of the budget process. The projects are funded
using a combination of grants and existing funds.
The Town’s Debt Policy provides a set of criteria to help determine when it’s best to fund capital
projects using existing revenues, issuing bonds or seeking loans. The Town has an Aa3 bond rating
from Moody’s Investors Service for the general obligation bonds and an A1 rating for the revenue
bonds. These ratings allow the Town to receive very competitive interest rates when issuing debt.
Capital Investments
DEBT TYPE DEFINTIONS
General Obligation Bonds - long-term debt that is repaid
from the Town’s available resources.
Revenue Bonds - long-term debt with repayment to come
from a pledged Town revenue stream.
The State imposes certain debt limitations of
20% and 6% of the net secondary assessed valua-
tion of the Town. For projects involving water,
sewer, artificial lighting, parks, open space, pub-
lic safety, law enforcement, fire and emergency
facilities, street and transportation facilities and
recreation facilities, the Town can issue GO
bonds up to 20%. For any other general purpose
improvements, the Town may issue bonds up to
the 6% limit.
The Town’s available debt margin is $72.6 mil-
lion in the 20% capacity and $22.7 million in the
6% capacity. The Town is currently using only
4% of the 20% capacity and nothing of the 6%
capacity.
Repayment of Outstanding Debt
The repayment of debt is funded using secondary
property tax and general fund revenues.
Debt Margin
Debt Type 2013 2012
General Obligation Bonds 5,700,000$ 6,845,000$
Revenue Bonds 5,905,000 7,040,000
Total Debt 11,605,000$ 13,885,000$
Two Year Debt Summary
All Funds
Year ending June 30,Principal Interest
2014 2,415,000 476,569
2015 1,970,000 386,581
2016 2,830,000 307,136
2017 1,120,000 186,406
2018 1,150,000 141,606
2019-2021 2,120,000 161,152
11,605,000$ 1,659,450$
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report
Profile of Fountain Hills, Arizona
The Town of Fountain Hills is a planned, family-
oriented community established in 1970 by
McCulloch Properties (now MCO Properties,
Inc.). Prior to 1970, the area was a cattle ranch
and was part of one of the largest land and cattle
holdings in Arizona. The land was purchased by
Robert McCulloch in the late 1960s and designed
by Charles Wood, Jr. (designer of Disneyland in
southern California). The centerpiece of Foun-
tain Hills is one of the world's tallest man -made
fountains, a focal point that attracts thousands of
visitors each year.
Located on 13,006 acres of land, and bordering
northeast Scottsdale, Fountain Hills is sur-
rounded by the 3,500-foot McDowell Mountains
on the west, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Indian
Reservation on the east, the Salt River Pima-
Maricopa Indian Community on the south and by
the McDowell Mountain Regional Park on the
north. Elevation is 1,520 feet at the fountain,
3,000 feet on Golden Eagle Boulevard, and is
500 feet above Phoenix.
Over the past twenty-three years, Fountain Hills
has grown from 10,190 residents to a town of
approximately 22,500 based on the 2010 census.
On June 5, 2006, the Town of Fountain Hills be-
came twenty square miles and about ten percent
larger by annexing 1,300 acres of state trust land.
The process to annex the state trust land occurred
over a two and one-half year period and develop-
ment of the land will occur over the next decade.
Annexing this property into the Town ensures
that its future development will be of the highest
quality under such Town’s standards as the cut -
and-fill ordinance and strict zoning regulations.
Fountain Hills will have an opportunity to dem-
onstrate that it is truly the best place to live in the
valley.
The Town offers a range of living styles, from
small community subdivisions to a number of
large custom homes. Fountain Hills also offers
recreational, cultural and retirement programs
that address the needs and lifestyles of active
families and adults. The community consists of
primarily residential property; of the total 20.32
square miles of land, only 2.3% of the total is
zoned commercial and/or industrial, 23.0% is
reserved as open space and 51.3% is residential.
The Town of Fountain Hills is an Arizona Mu-
nicipal Corporation, acting as a general law town
as prescribed in the Arizona Revised Statutes.
The Town was incorporated on December 5,
1989, with the governmental and administrative
affairs of the Town operating under the Council-
Manager form of government. The Town Coun-
cil is responsible, among other things, for the
adoption of local ordinances, budget adoption,
the development of citizen advisory committees
and hiring the Town Manager. The Town Man-
ager is responsible for implementation of the
policies of the Town Council and administering
the Town’s operations through three department
directors and approximately 57 FTE employees.
The Presiding Judge, Town Attorney and Town
Prosecutor are under the direction of the Town
Council.
Page 9
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report
The Government of Fountain Hills, Arizona
The Town provides or administers a full range of
services including public safety (law enforce-
ment, fire, animal control); development services
(code enforcement, planning, and public works);
construction and maintenance of streets and in-
frastructure, municipal court, recreational activi-
ties, community center, senior services and cul-
tural events. The Town does not maintain utility
or other operations.
The financial reporting entity (the Town) in-
cludes all the funds of the primary government
(i.e., the Town of Fountain Hills as legally de-
fined) as well as all of its component units. The
component units consist of legally separate enti-
ties for which the primary government is finan-
cially accountable. Blended component units,
although legally separate entities, are, in sub-
stance, part of the primary government’s opera-
tions and are included as part of the primary gov-
ernment. Accordingly, the Cottonwoods Mainte-
nance District, Eagle Mountain Community Fa-
cilities District and Fountain Hills Municipal
Property Corporation are included in the finan-
cial reports of the Town.
The annual budget serves as the foundation for
the Town of Fountain Hills’ financial planning
and control. The Town Council formally adopts
the budget and legally allocates, or appropriates,
available monies for the General Fund, Special
Revenue Funds, Debt Service Funds, and Capital
Projects Fund. Therefore, these funds have ap-
propriated budgets. On or before the second
meeting in April, the Town Manager submits to
the Town Council a proposed budget for the fis-
cal year commencing the following July 1. The
budget includes proposed expenditures and the
means of financing them. The Town Council is
then required to hold public hearings on the pro-
posed budget and to adopt a final budget by no
later than June 30, the close of the Town of
Fountain Hills’ fiscal year. The budget is legally
enacted through passage of a resolution and is
prepared by fund and department. The resolution
sets the limit for expenditures during the fiscal
year. The Town Manager may authorize transfers
from and within personnel and from operating
capital to services or supplies within a depart-
ment. Additional expenditures may be authorized
for expenditures directly necessitated by a natu-
ral or man-made disaster as prescribed in the
State Constitution, Article 9, Section 20.
Page 10
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report
Fountain Hills, Arizona Awards
Awards
Fountain Hills has had its share of accolades. We
have been named one of the “10 Great Places to
Raise a Family in the U.S.” and have been recog-
nized as “The Best Place to Live in the Phoenix
Metropolitan Area.” We have also been listed as
“The Best Affordable Suburb” in Arizona. These
honors make us proud, and we continually strive
to make our community an even better place to
live.
The Government Finance Officers Association
(GFOA) awarded a Certificate of Achievement
for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the
Town of Fountain Hills for its Comprehensive
Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal
year ended June 30, 2012. This was the 16th con-
secutive year that the government has received
this prestigious award. In order to be awarded a
Certificate of Achievement, the government pub-
lished an easily readable and efficiently organ-
ized CAFR. This report satisfied both GAAP and
applicable legal requirements.
In addition, the government also received the
GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation
Award for its annual budget for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 2013. In order to qualify for the
Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, the
government’s budget document was judged to be
proficient in several categories, including as a
policy document, a financial plan, an operations
guide, and a communications device. This is the
12th consecutive year that the Town has received
the award.
Also, the GFOA recognized the Town for its
June 30, 2012, submission of its Popular Annual
Financial Report (PAFR). The Award for Out-
standing Achievement in Popular Annual Finan-
cial Reporting is a prestigious national award
recognizing conformance with the highest stan-
dards for preparation of state and local govern-
ment popular reports. The requirements are
based on an evaluation of creativity, presenta-
tion, understandability, and reader appeal. This
award is for the Town’s first submission of its
PAFR.
Two hundred seventeen cities and towns, includ-
ing Fountain Hills, earned recognition from na-
tional non-profit KaBOOM! as 2013 Playful City
USA communities for their efforts to increase
play opportunities for children. Hailing from 43
states, the 217 Playful City USA honorees range
from seven-time honorees to 37 first-time recipi-
ents. These Playful City USA communities are
making a commitment to play and physical activ-
ity by developing unique local action plans to
increase the quantity and quality of play in their
community.
In June 2013, Coldwell Banker identified Best
Places to Live for “Booming Suburbs”. Each lo-
cation was assigned a score based on 15-20 at-
tributes. Some of the attributes include access to
suburban amenities, proximity to good schools,
commuting by car and community safety. The
list includes only those suburbs that have a popu-
lation greater than 22,275. Fountain Hills was
No. 1 in Arizona with a score of 874.18 out of
1,000 possible.
Page 11
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report
TOWN MANAGER
Ken Buchanan
DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS
Town of Fountain Hills, Arizona
Town Officials
TOWN COUNCIL
Deputy Town Manager/
Finance Director
Julie A. Ghetti
Presiding Judge Mitchell S. Eisenberg
Community Services
Director
Mark Mayer
Development Services
Director
Paul Mood
Fire Chief Randy Roberts,
Rural Metro Corporation
District Commander Captain Joe Rodriquez,
Maricopa County Sher-
iff’s Office
Town Prosecutor Iacovino & Kayler
Town Attorney Andrew McGuire,
Gust Rosenfeld, P.L.C.
This Popular Annual Financial Report is in-
tended to summarize the financial information
appearing in the fiscal year 2012-2013 Compre-
hensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). Cop-
ies of the CAFR can be viewed on the Town’s
website at www.fh.az.gov/financial-reports.aspx.
The data included in this review is not prepared
in accordance with GAAP as only a portion of
the Town’s financial statements are presented.
TOWN HALL Telephone: 480-816-5100
16705 E. Avenue of the Fountains Fax: 480-837-3145
Fountain Hills, Arizona 85268 Website: www.fh.az.gov
Page 12
Arizona Legislature—District 23
U.S. Congress—District 5
Mayor Ms. Linda Kavanagh
Vice Mayor Mr. Tait Elkie
Councilmember Mr. Dennis Brown
Councilmember Ms. Ginny Dickey
Councilmember Mr. Henry Leger
Councilmember Ms. Cassie Hansen
Councilmember Mr. Cecil Yates
The height of desert living. 2012-2013 Popular Annual Financial Report Page 13
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada has given an Award for Out-
standing Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting to the Town of Fountain Hills, Arizona for its Popu-
lar Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012. The Award for Outstanding Achievement in
Popular Annual Financial Reporting is a prestigious national award recognizing conformance with the highest
standards for preparation of state and local government popular reports.