Item 1. City of Otsego Communications Letter - FINAL
City of Otsego
Wright County, Minnesota
Communications Letter
December 31, 2021
City of Otsego
Table of Contents
Report on Matters Identified as a Result of
the Audit of the Basic Financial Statements 1
Significant Deficiency 3
Required Communication 4
Financial Analysis 9
Emerging Issue 20
1
Report on Matters Identified as a Result of
the Audit of the Basic Financial Statements
Honorable Mayor, Members of the
City Council and Management
City of Otsego
Otsego, Minnesota
In planning and performing our audit of the basic financial statements of the governmental activities,
business-type activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the City of
Otsego, Minnesota, as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021, in accordance with auditing
standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial
audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United
States, we considered the City's internal control over financial reporting (internal control) as a basis for
designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances for the purpose of expressing our
opinions on the financial statements, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the
effectiveness of the City's internal control. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the
effectiveness of the City's internal control over financial reporting.
Our consideration of internal control was for the limited purpose described in the preceding paragraph
and was not designed to identify all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses or
significant deficiencies and, therefore, material weaknesses or significant deficiencies may exist that
have not been identified. In addition, because of inherent limitations in internal control, including the
possibility of management override of controls, misstatements due to error, or fraud may occur and not
be detected by such controls.
A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow
management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent, or
detect and correct, misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a
combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable
possibility that a material misstatement of the City's basic financial statements will not be prevented, or
detected and corrected, on a timely basis. A reasonable possibility exists when the likelihood of an event
occurring is either reasonably possible or probable as defined as follows:
• Reasonably possible. The chance of the future event or events occurring is more than remote but
less than likely.
• Probable. The future event or events are likely to occur.
We did not identify any deficiencies in internal control that we consider to be material weaknesses.
2
A significant deficiency is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control that is less
severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by those charged with
governance. The significant deficiency identified is stated within this letter.
The accompanying memorandum also includes financial analysis provided as a basis for discussion. The
matters discussed herein were considered by us during our audit and they do not modify the opinion
expressed in our Independent Auditor's Report dated May 31, 2022, on such statements.
This communication, which is an integral part of our audit, is intended solely for the information and use
of management, Members of the City Council, others within the City and state oversight agencies and is
not intended to be, and should not be, used by anyone other than these specified parties.
St. Cloud, Minnesota
May 31, 2022
3
City of Otsego
Significant Deficiency
Lack of Segregation of Accounting Duties
The City had a lack of segregation of accounting duties due to a limited number of office employees.
Adequate segregation of accounting duties is in place when the following four areas of a transaction
have been separated: authorization, custody, recording, and reconciliation. Examples of functions
within the City that demonstrate this lack of segregation of accounting duties include, but are not limited
to, the following:
• Cash Receipts – The Utility Billing Clerk and Accountant have access to initiate and record
receipts. The Utility Billing Clerk is also responsible for depositing cash receipts. The
Accountant is also involved in the reconciliation process and has full access to the general
ledger.
• Utility Billing Process – The Utility Billing Clerk is responsible for handling customer payments,
depositing payments received.
• Disbursements – Due to small staff the City allows access to other employees to perform
disbursement related activities in order to fill in for normal roles and responsibilities in the
absences of other staff. In the absence of the Accountant, the Utility Billing Clerk has access to
record and cut checks and has access to blank checks.
• Financial Reporting and Journal Entry Process – The Finance Director and Accountant have full
access to the general ledger and can make adjustments without review during the monthly and
year-end financial closing process.
Management and the City Council must remain aware of this situation and management should
continually monitor internal control, including changes that occur.
4
City of Otsego
Required Communication
We have audited the basic financial statements of the governmental activities, business-type activities,
each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the City as of and for the year ended
December 31, 2021. Professional standards require that we advise you of the following matters related
to our audit.
Our Responsibility in Relation to the Financial Statement Audit
As communicated in our engagement letter, our responsibility, as described by professional standards, is
to form and express opinions about whether the basic financial statements prepared by management with
your oversight are presented fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America. Our audit of the basic financial statements does not
relieve you or management of its respective responsibilities.
Our responsibility, as prescribed by professional standards, is to plan and perform our audit to obtain
reasonable, rather than absolute, assurance about whether the basic financial statements are free of
material misstatement. An audit of the basic financial statements includes consideration of internal
control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the
circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the City's internal
control over financial reporting. Accordingly, as part of our audit, we considered the internal control of
the City solely for the purpose of determining our audit procedures and not to provide any assurance
concerning such internal control.
We are also responsible for communicating significant matters related to the audit that are, in our
professional judgement, relevant to your responsibilities in overseeing the financial reporting process.
However, we are not required to design procedures for the purpose of identifying other matters to
communicate to you.
Generally accepted accounting principles provide for certain Required Supplementary Information (RSI)
to supplement the basic financial statements. Our responsibility with respect to the RSI, which
supplements the basic financial statements, is to apply certain limited procedures in accordance with
generally accepted auditing standards. However, the RSI was not audited and, because the limited
procedures do not provide us with sufficient evidence to express an opinion or provide any assurance,
we do not express an opinion or provide any assurance on the RSI.
Our responsibility for the supplementary information accompanying the basic financial statements, as
described by professional standards, is to evaluate the presentation of the supplementary information in
relation to the basic financial statements as a whole and to report on whether the supplementary
information is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a
whole.
Our responsibility with respect to the other information in documents containing the audited basic
financial statements and auditor's report does not extend beyond the basic financial information
identified in the report. We have no responsibility for determining whether this other information is
properly stated. This other information was not audited and we do not express an opinion or provide any
assurance on it.
5
City of Otsego
Required Communication
Our Responsibility in Relation to Government Auditing Standards
As communicated in our engagement letter, part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the
basic financial statements are free of material misstatement, we performed tests of the City's compliance
with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements, noncompliance with which
could have a direct and material effect on the determination of basic financial statement amounts.
However, the objective of our tests was not to provide an opinion on compliance with such provisions.
Our Responsibility in Relation to Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federa l Awards
(Uniform Guidance)
As communicated in our engagement letter, in accordance with the Uniform Guidance, we examined on
a test basis, evidence about the City's compliance with the types of compliance requirements described
in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Compliance Supplement applicable to each of its
major federal programs for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the City's compliance with those
requirements. While our audit provided a reasonable basis for our opinion, it did not provide a legal
determination on the City's compliance with those requirements.
In planning and performing our audit of compliance, we considered the City's internal control over
compliance with the types of requirements that could have a direct and material effect on each major
federal program to determine the auditing procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances for the
purpose of expressing an opinion on compliance for each major federal program and to test and report
on internal control over compliance in accordance with the Uniform Guidance, but not for the purpose
of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over compliance.
Planned Scope and Timing of the Audit
We conducted our audit consistent with the planned scope and timing we previously communicated to
you.
Compliance with All Ethics Requirements Regarding Independence
The engagement team, others in our firm, as appropriate, our firm, and our network firms have complied
with all relevant ethical requirements regarding independence.
Significant Risks Identified
We have identified the following significant risks of material misstatement:
• Risk of Improper Revenue Recognition – Revenue recognition is considered a fraud risk on
substantially all engagements as it is generally the largest line item impacting a City's change in
fund balance or net position.
• Risk of Misappropriation of Assets – If duties cannot be appropriately segregated within finance
department, there is a risk of misappropriation of assets.
• Risk of Management Override of Controls – Management override of internal control is
considered a risk in substantially all engagements as management may be incentivized to
produce better results.
6
City of Otsego
Required Communication
Qualitative Aspects of the City's Significant Accounting Practices
Significant Accounting Policies
Management has the responsibility to select and use appropriate accounting policies. A summary of the
significant accounting policies adopted by the City is included in the notes to financial statements. There
have been no initial selection of accounting policies and no changes to significant accounting policies or
their application during 2021. No matters have come to our attention that would require us, under
professional standards, to inform you about (1) the methods used to account for significant unusual
transactions and (2) the effect of significant accounting policies in controversial or emerging areas for
which there is a lack of authoritative guidance or consensus.
Significant Accounting Estimates
Accounting estimates are an integral part of the basic financial statements prepared by management and
are based on management's current judgements. Those judgements are normally based on knowledge
and experience about past and current events and assumptions about future events. Certain accounting
estimates are particularly sensitive because of their significance to the basic financial statements and
because of the possibility that future events affecting them may differ markedly from management's
current judgements. The most sensitive estimates affecting the basic financial statements relate to:
Depreciation – The City is currently depreciating its capital assets over their estimated useful lives,
as determined by management, using the straight-line method.
Expense Allocation – Certain expenses are allocated to programs based on an estimate of the benefit
to that particular program. Examples are salaries, benefits, and supplies.
Net Pension Liability, Deferred Outflows of Resources Related to Pensions and Deferred Inflows of
Resources Related to Pensions – These balances are based on an allocation by the pension plans
using estimates based on contributions.
We evaluated the key factors and assumptions used to develop the accounting estimates and determined
that they are reasonable in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole and in relation to
the applicable opinion units.
Financial Statement Disclosures
Certain basic financial statement disclosures involve significant judgment and are particularly sensitive
because of their significance to financial statement users. The basic financial statement disclosures are
neutral, consistent, and clear.
Significant Difficulties Encountered during the Audit
We encountered no significant difficulties in dealing with management relating to the performance of
the audit.
7
City of Otsego
Required Communication
Uncorrected and Corrected Misstatements
For the purposes of this communication, professional standards require us to accumulate all known
and likely misstatements identified during the audit, other than those that we believe are trivial, and
communicate them to the appropriate level of management. Further, professional standards require
us to also communicate the effects of uncorrected misstatements related to prior periods on the
relevant classes of transactions, account balances or disclosures, and the basic financial statements
taken as a whole and each applicable opinion unit.
Management did not identify and we did not notify them of any uncorrected financial statement
misstatements.
In addition, professional standards require us to communicate to you all material, corrected
misstatements that were brought to the attention of management as a result of our audit procedures.
None of the misstatements detected as a result of audit procedures and corrected by management were
material, either individually or in the aggregate, to the basic financial statements taken as a whole.
Disagreements with Management
For purposes of this letter, professional standards define a disagreement with management as a
matter, whether or not resolved to our satisfaction, concerning a financial accounting, reporting, or
auditing matter, which could be significant to the City's financial statements or the auditor's report.
No such disagreements arose during the course of our audit.
Representations Requested from Management
We have requested certain written representations from management, which are included in the
management representation letter.
Management's Consultations with Other Accountants
In some cases, management may decide to consult with other accountants about auditing and
accounting matters. Management has informed us that, and to our knowledge, there were no
consultations with other accountants regarding auditing and accounting matters.
Other Significant Matters, Findings, or Issues
In the normal course of our professional association with the City, we generally discuss a variety of
matters, including the application of accounting principles and auditing standards, significant events or
transactions that occurred during the year, operating and regulatory conditions affecting the City, and
operational plans and strategies that may affect the risks of material misstatement. None of the matters
discussed resulted in a condition to our retention as the City's auditor.
Other Information Included in Annual Reports
Pursuant to professional standards, our responsibility as auditors for other information, whether financial
or nonfinancial, included in the City's annual reports, does not extend beyond the information identified
in the audit report, and we are not required to perform any procedures to corroborate such other
information.
8
City of Otsego
Required Communication
Other Information Included in Annual Reports (Continued)
We applied certain limited procedures to the RSI that supplements the basic financial statements. Our
procedures consisted of inquiries of management regarding the methods of preparing the information
and comparing the information for consistency with management's responses to our inquiries, the basic
financial statements, and other knowledge we obtained during our audit of the basic financial statements.
We did not audit the RSI and do not express an opinion or provide any assurance on the RSI.
With respect to the supplementary information accompanying the financial statements, we made
certain inquiries of management and evaluated the form, content and methods of preparing the
information to determine that the information complies with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America, the method of preparing it has not changed from the prior
period, and the information is appropriate and complete in relation to our audit of the financial
statements. We compared and reconciled the supplementary information to the underlying
accounting records used to prepare the basic financial statements or to the basic financial statements
themselves.
We were not engaged to report on the other information accompanying the basic financial statements
but are not RSI. Such information has not been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the
audit of the basic financial statements, and accordingly, we do not express an opinion or provide any
assurance on it.
Our responsibility also includes communicating to you any information which we believe is a material
misstatement of fact. Nothing came to our attention that caused us to believe that such information, or its
manner of presentation, is materially inconsistent with the information, or manner of its presentation,
appearing in the basic financial statements.
9
City of Otsego
Financial Analysis
The following pages provide graphic representation of select data pertaining to the financial position and
operations of the City for the past five years. Our analysis of each graph is presented to provide a basis
for discussion of past performance and how implementing certain changes may enhance future
performance. We suggest you view each graph and document if our analysis is consistent with yours. A
subsequent discussion of this information should be useful for planning purposes.
General Fund
The following graph summarizes the past five years of General Fund revenues, expenditures, and fund
balance. For the year ended December 31, 2021, revenues for the City's General Fund totaled
$7,805,004. This represents a decrease of $1,250,693, or 13.8%, from 2020. General Fund expenditures
totaled $6,401,090 in 2021, which is a decrease of $256,235, or 3.8%, from 2020. Revenue and
expenditure activity, combined with net transfers out of $2,191,746, resulted in a decrease in fund
balance of $787,832 in 2021.
The ending General Fund balance of $5,199,901 is further broken down into spending categories;
$354,473 is for nonspendable fund balances which is made up of $152,273 of prepaid items and
$202,200 of assets held for resale. In addition, $245,758 is assigned for insurance deductibles and
$27,043 is assigned for educational programs. This leaves $4,572,627 available for spending on any
purpose, which is considered unassigned fund balance. The City's policy is to maintain a minimum fund
balance in the General Fund of 45.0% of the subsequent years' expenditures. The fund balance at
December 31, 2021, represents 70.8% of 2022 budgeted expenditures of $7,347,416.
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Total Revenues $5,895,990 $6,305,790 $6,692,859 $9,055,697 $7,805,004
Total Expenditures 4,732,327 5,294,967 5,686,890 6,657,325 6,401,090
Fund Balance 3,890,645 4,113,667 4,319,810 5,987,733 5,199,901
$-
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
$3,000,000
$4,000,000
$5,000,000
$6,000,000
$7,000,000
$8,000,000
$9,000,000
$10,000,000
General Fund
10
City of Otsego
Financial Analysis
General Fund Revenues
Trends for each of the City's major revenue classifications over the past five years are graphically
portrayed in the bar chart below.
As stated earlier, General Fund revenues decreased $1,250,693, or 13.8%, from 2020. Taxes increased
$92,131 due to an increased tax levy. Intergovernmental decreased $1,308,177 due to receiving the
CARES grant in 2020. Charges for services increased $170,611 due to COVID-19 and reduced services
offered in 2020. Investment income decreased $226,434 due to worsening market conditions. Other
sources of revenue stayed consistent with the prior year.
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Investment Income $31,343 $48,761 $155,709 $177,948 $(48,486)
Other 259,416 58,077 108,364 61,688 86,065
Intergovernmental 74,080 78,437 88,328 1,396,214 88,037
Charges for Services 275,740 315,699 310,871 257,198 427,809
Licenses and Permits 1,363,384 1,672,906 1,699,879 2,532,789 2,529,588
Taxes 3,892,027 4,131,910 4,329,708 4,629,860 4,721,991
$-
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
$3,000,000
$4,000,000
$5,000,000
$6,000,000
$7,000,000
$8,000,000
$9,000,000
$10,000,000
General Fund Revenues
11
City of Otsego
Financial Analysis
General Fund Revenues (Continued)
The allocation of revenues by source within each major classification is presented below for 2021 and
2020. The City continues to rely on tax revenue as the majority of its General Fund revenue, accounting
for 60.5% of its total revenue in 2021. Intergovernmental decreased to 1.1% due to CARES funding
received in 2020. Other sources of revenue were fairly consistent with the prior year.
Taxes
60.5%
Intergovernmental
1.1%
Licenses and
Permits
32.4%
Charges for
Services
5.5%
Investment
Income
(0.6)%
Other
1.1%
2021 General Fund Revenues
Taxes
51.1%
Intergovernmental
15.4%
Licenses and
Permits
28.0%Charges for
Services
2.8%
Investment
Income
2.0%
Other
0.7%
2020 General Fund Revenues
12
City of Otsego
Financial Analysis
General Fund Revenues Budget and Actual
The graph below outlines the budget and actual results for General Fund revenues.
Taxes Intergovernmental Licenses and
Permits
Charges for
Services
Investment
Income Other
Budget $4,781,632 $87,500 $1,200,810 $198,915 $72,000 $27,500
Actual 4,721,991 88,037 2,529,588 427,809 $(48,486)86,065
$-
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
$2,500,000
$3,000,000
$3,500,000
$4,000,000
$4,500,000
$5,000,000
2021 General Fund Revenues
Budget and Actual
Overall, actual revenue exceeded budgeted revenue by $1,436,647, or 22.6%. The largest variance was
for licenses and permits which was $1,328,778 over budget. This was the result of budgeting
conservatively for building and commercial construction permits for 2021. The second largest variance
was in Charges for services which was over budget $228,894 due to budgeting conservatively.
Investment income was $120,486 underbudget due to unanticipated market conditions. The remaining
revenue sources were consistent with budgeted amounts.
13
City of Otsego
Financial Analysis
General Fund Expenditures
As discussed previously, total General Fund expenditures decreased $256,235, or 3.8%, from 2020.
Public safety expenditures increased $211,974 due to an increase in the County contract. Economic
development expenditures decreased $574,550 due to CARES grant expenditures related to pandemic
relief grants expended in 2020. Parks and recreation expenditures increased $84,352 due to increased
programming related to the impact of COVID-19 lessening. Public works expenditures increased
$83,124 due to increased hours worked in 2021 and cost of living adjustments. General government
expenditures were relatively consistent with the amounts expended in the prior year.
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
General Government $1,079,577 $1,188,219 $1,227,565 $1,419,635 $1,358,500
Public Safety 1,895,467 2,168,187 2,379,440 2,667,435 2,879,409
Public Works 1,055,965 1,170,464 1,250,718 1,204,664 1,287,788
Parks and Recreation 587,739 654,786 715,026 699,793 784,145
Economic Development 113,579 113,311 114,141 665,798 91,248
$-
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
$3,000,000
$4,000,000
$5,000,000
$6,000,000
$7,000,000
General Fund Expenditures
14
City of Otsego
Financial Analysis
General Fund Expenditures (Continued)
The following charts illustrate the allocation of General Fund expenditures by program/function. The
allocation of total expenditures by program has fluctuated slightly between the past two years as a result
of the changes in expenditures as discussed on the previous page. The most significant fluctuation in
2021 was economic development decreasing from 10.0% in 2020 to 1.4% in 2021 due to the pandemic
relief grants provided in 2020.
General
Government
21.2%
Public Safety
45.0%
Public Works
20.1%
Parks and
Recreation
12.3%
Economic
Development
1.4%
2021 General Fund Expenditures
General
Government
21.3%
Public Safety
40.1%Public Works
18.1%
Parks and
Recreation
10.5%
Economic
Development
10.0%
2020 General Fund Expenditures
15
City of Otsego
Financial Analysis
General Fund Expenditures Budget and Actual
The graph below outlines the budget and actual results for General Fund expenditures.
General Government Public Safety Public Works Parks and Recreation Economic
Development
Budget $1,540,869 $2,714,553 $1,429,909 $796,416 $129,710
Actual $1,358,500 2,879,409 1,287,788 784,145 91,248
$-
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
$2,500,000
$3,000,000
2021 General Fund Expeditures
Budget and Actual
Overall, actual expenditures were under budgeted amounts by $210,367, or 3.2%. General Government
had the largest variance, coming in $182,369 under budget. This variance is due to budgeting
conservatively. Public Safety had the second largest variance, coming in $164,856 over budget. This
variance is primarily due to building inspection expenditures being more than anticipated. Public Works
had the next largest variance, coming in $142,121 under budget. This variance is primarily due to
budgeting conservatively. The other functions were consistent with the budgeted amounts.
16
City of Otsego
Financial Analysis
Tax Capacity, Levy, And Rates
The chart below graphs the tax capacity, certified tax levy, and City tax rate for 2016 through 2020.
Comparing 2017 through 2021, the City's tax capacity has increased $7,718,142, or 51.9%, to
$22,591,258. The City's certified levy increased $2,198,680, or 39.1%, over the same time frame. As a
result, the City's tax capacity rate has decreased from 37.9% in 2017 to 34.7% in 2021. When comparing
2020 to 2021 the chart indicates that even with a levy increase of $634,176 the tax rate decreased from
35.1% to 34.7% due to a $2,093,980 increase in the total tax capacity.
$5,629,745 $6,103,302 $6,710,109 $7,194,249 $7,828,425
$14,873,116
$16,696,008
$18,608,540
$20,497,278
$22,591,258
37.85%36.56%
36.06%35.10%34.65%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
45.00%
50.00%
$-
$5,000,000
$10,000,000
$15,000,000
$20,000,000
$25,000,000
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Tax Capacity, Levy, and Rates
Tax Levy Total Tax Capacity Tax Capacity Rate
17
City of Otsego
Financial Analysis
Water Fund
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Operating Revenues $1,459,868 $1,666,629 $1,626,076 $2,013,487 $2,873,324
Operating Expenses 1,059,863 1,180,414 1,447,050 1,289,632 1,854,678
Operating Income with
Depreciation 400,005 486,215 179,026 723,855 1,018,646
Operating Income without
Depreciation 906,196 1,031,364 771,993 1,352,583 1,722,474
$-
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
$2,500,000
$3,000,000
Water Fund
The Water Fund experienced operating income of $1,018,646 in 2021. This is the fifth consecutive year
with an operating income in the five years presented. We have also illustrated the operating income for
the past five years with depreciation, a non-cash expense, factored out of operating expenses. In 2021,
the City experienced operating income of $1,722,474 with depreciation expense factored out of
operating expenses. Depreciation expense amortizes the original cost of fund capital assets over their
estimated useful lives.
In 2021, operating revenues increased $859,837, or 42.7%, while operating expenses increased
$565,046, or 43.8%. The increase in operating revenues was due to increased usage and more customers
as well as a new rate structure. Operating expenses increased due to ordering more meters in 2021.
After factoring in non-operating items and capital contributions, in the form of connection fees and
developer and governmental fund contributions, and transfers, the net position in this fund increased by
$4,119,431. Unrestricted net position was $10,037,727 at December 31, 2021.
18
City of Otsego
Financial Analysis
Sewer Fund
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Operating Revenues $1,737,618 $1,921,402 $2,246,688 $2,469,354 $3,028,939
Operating Expenses 1,913,520 2,049,079 2,097,663 2,414,741 2,785,098
Operating Income (Loss) with Depreciation (175,902)(127,677)149,025 54,613 243,841
Operating Income without Depreciation 736,786 833,442 1,137,333 1,080,702 1,310,055
$(250,000)
$-
$250,000
$500,000
$750,000
$1,000,000
$1,250,000
$1,500,000
$1,750,000
$2,000,000
$2,250,000
$2,500,000
$2,750,000
$3,000,000
$3,250,000
Sewer Fund
In 2021, the Sewer Fund generated an operating income for the third time in the five years presented. In
2021, the Sewer Fund experienced an operating income of $243,841 with depreciation. Operating
revenues increased $559,585 or 22.7% over the prior year, while operating expenses increased
$370,357, or 15.3%. The increase in operating revenues was due to an increase in rates and usage. The
increase in operating expenses was due to increased utility and chemical costs related to the increased
usage.
The operating income in 2021 was a result of increasing rates to assist in covering operating expenses
and has experienced an increase in users. Without depreciation, operating income totaled $1,310,055.
We recommend the City continue to monitor operations and fee structures of this fund to ensure positive
operating results.
After factoring in non-operating items, capital contributions, in the form of connection fees and
developer and governmental fund contributions, and transfers, the net position in this fund increased
$5,756,103. Unrestricted net position was $17,337,848 at December 31, 2021.
19
City of Otsego
Financial Analysis
Storm Water Fund
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Operating Revenues $61,540 $70,010 $109,372 $120,579 $122,200
Operating Expenses 62,172 71,040 123,163 138,985 188,245
Operating Income (Loss) with Depreciation (632)(1,030)(13,791)(18,406)(66,045)
Operating Income (Loss) without
Depreciation 34,502 46,414 44,177 77,164 70,273
$(100,000)
$(50,000)
$-
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
Storm Water Fund
The Storm Water Fund experienced an increase in operating revenues of $1,621 or 1.3% from 2020 due
to more customers. Operating expenses increased, $49,260 or 35.4% from 2020 to 2021 due to increases
in depreciation expense due to a large number of capital assets being recently added. The fund
experienced an operating loss of $66,045 in 2021. Without depreciation included in operating expenses,
the fund experienced operating income of $70,273.
After factoring in non-operating items, capital contributions from developers and governmental funds
and transfers, this fund's net position increased by $1,316,740. Unrestricted net position was $570,428 at
December 31, 2021.
20
City of Otsego
Emerging Issue
Executive Summary
The following is an executive summary of financial and business related updates to assist you in staying
current on emerging issues in accounting and finance. This summary will give you a preview of the new
standards that have been recently issued and what is on the horizon for the near future. The most recent
and significant update includes:
• Accounting Standard Update – GASB Statement No. 87 – Leases – GASB has issued GASB
Statement No. 87 relating to accounting and financial reporting for leases. This new statement
establishes a single model for lease accounting based on the principle that leases are financing of
the right to use an underlying asset.
The following is an extensive summary of the current update. As your continued business partner, we
are committed to keeping you informed of new and emerging issues. We are happy to discuss these
issues with you further and its applicability to your City.
Accounting Standard Update – GASB Statement No. 87 – Leases
The objective of this Statement is to better meet the information needs of financial statement users by
improving accounting and financial reporting for leases by governments. This Statement increases the
usefulness of governments' basic financial statements by requiring recognition of certain lease assets and
liabilities for leases that previously were classified as operating leases and recognized as inflows of
resources or outflows of resources based on the payment provisions of the contract. It establishes a
single model for lease accounting based on the foundational principle that leases are financings of the
right to use an underlying asset. Under this Statement, a lessee is required to recognize a lease liability
and an intangible right-to-use lease asset, and a lessor is required to recognize a lease receivable and a
deferred inflow of resources, thereby enhancing the relevance and consistency of information about
governments' leasing activities.
A lease is defined as a contract that conveys control of the right to use another entity's nonfinancial asset
(the underlying asset) as specified in the contract for a period of time in an exchange or exchange-like
transaction. Examples of nonfinancial assets include buildings, land, vehicles, and equipment. Any
contract that meets this definition should be accounted for under the leases guidance, unless specifically
excluded in this Statement.
A short-term lease is defined as a lease that, at the commencement of the lease term, has a maximum
possible term under the lease contract of 12 months (or less), including any options to extend, regardless
of their probability of being exercised. Lessees and lessors should recognize short-term lease payments
as outflows of resources or inflows of resources, respectively, based on the payment provisions of the
lease contract.
21
City of Otsego
Emerging Issue
Accounting Standard Update – GASB Statement No. 87 – Leases (Continued)
A lessee should recognize a lease liability and a lease asset at the commencement of the lease term,
unless the lease is a short-term lease or it transfers ownership of the underlying asset. The lease liability
should be measured at the present value of payments expected to be made during the lease term (less any
lease incentives). The lease asset should be measured at the amount of the initial measurement of the
lease liability, plus any payments made to the lessor at or before the commencement of the lease term
and certain direct costs. A lessee should reduce the lease liability as payments are made and recognize
an outflow of resources (for example, expense) for interest on the liability. The lessee should amortize
the lease asset in a systematic and rational manner over the shorter of the lease term or the useful life of
the underlying asset. The notes to basic financial statements should include a description of leasing
arrangements, the amount of lease assets recognized, and a schedule of future lease payments to be
made.
A lessor should recognize a lease receivable and a deferred inflow of resources at the commencement of
the lease term, with certain exceptions for leases of assets held as investments, certain regulated leases,
short-term leases, and leases that transfer ownership of the underlying asset. A lessor should not
derecognize the asset underlying the lease. The lease receivable should be measured at the present value
of lease payments expected to be received during the lease term. The deferred inflow of resources
should be measured at the value of the lease receivable plus any payments received at or before the
commencement of the lease term that relate to future periods. A lessor should recognize interest revenue
on the lease receivable and an inflow of resources (for example, revenue) from the deferred inflows of
resources in a systematic and rational manner over the term of the lease. The notes to basic financial
statements should include a description of leasing arrangements and the total amount of inflows of
resources recognized from leases.
GASB Statement No. 87 is effective for fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2021.
Information provided above was obtained from www.gasb.org.