Achieving the GFOA CAnFR Award

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Achieving the GFOA CAnFR Award
GFOABC Municipal Accounting and AuditingBest
Practices Workshop
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Report Requirements

• 3 Sections (plus Summary Grading)
• Introductory Section (2 pages on Reviewers
  Checklist)
• Cover, Title Page, Table of Contents
• List of Elected Officials Department Heads
• Organizational Chart
• Transmittal Letter
• Legislative Authority
• Entity and Services
• Significant financial policies and results
• Future Outlook
• Role of Auditor, Responsibility of Management
• Financial Section PSAB (11.5 pages on
  Reviewers Checklist 5 pages on Notes)
• Statistical Section (1 page on Reviewers
  Checklist)
• Select 5 year financial statistics
• Demographics
• Principal Corporate Taxpayers
• Miscellaneous Format stuff (1/2 page on
  Reviewers Checklist)

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Achieving the GFOA CAnFR Award
Bio Carol Engelking, CA
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CAnFR Award

• City of Edmonton Experience
• C. Engelking

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Edmonton Experience

• Detailed gap analysis done with 1992 Annual
  Report
• Senior management support for changes
• First GFOA application was with the 1993 Annual
  Report
• Have successfully achieved the award for each of
  the years 1993 through 2002
• Application outstanding for 2003

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What it Means Value Add

• An external quality measure
• Provides additional comfort to Audit Committee
  and City Council
• Internal goal an achievement to celebrate!
• Additional profile to your municipality
• Certificate in Annual Report to readers
• More consistent framework across municipal Annual
  Reports

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Tips and Tricks

• Plan extensively up front
• Identify necessary resources and get them onboard
• Refer to examples of municipalities who have met
  the standard
• Stay connected within your organization much of
  the information is resident in other documents or
  processes
• Have some fun its an opportunity for
  creativity!

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Achieving the GFOA CAnFR Award
Bio Nancy Gomerich, CA
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Pitt Meadows Experience

• Just Did it!!!!
• Took about 1 weeks worth of time to put together
  (about an extra day to day and one-half each year
  thereafter)
• Why?
• Passion for making financial information
  understandable
• Increases Accountability
• Improved Public Image and confidence

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Pitt Meadows Experience

• How?
• Much of the information was borrowed
• Demographics Statistics Canada
• Info on Organization Services Municipal Red
  Book
• General format Treasurers Report, Transmittal
  Letter, Statistical Section City of Maple
  Ridgeminus
• Or we already had
• Organizational Chart, Financial Statements (lots
  of 5 year stats came from these)

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Tips and Tricks

• Build on the Charter required Annual Corporate
  Report
• Issue GFOA required format and focus conflicts
  with typical Corporate Annual Report
• Need to add Some information about
  organization, statistical section (demographics
  and statistics)
• Get your Auditors involved
• Go through the reviewers checklist
• Borrow and dont reinvent the wheel
• Pay attention to the little things
• Make sure your Financial Statements meet PSAB

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Other Stuff

• Make sure your Financial Statements are
  beautiful! Do a really good Treasurers Report
• Present the Report to Council and the Public
• Ensure the Award is presented each year at a
  televised Council Meeting and the current award
  is hung in a prominent place in City Hall!

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Achieving the GFOA CAnFR Award
Bio Tim Beauchamp, CA
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Achieving the GFOA CAnFR Award

• Role of the Reviewer

• Ensure compliance with rules
• Assess overall appeal
• Provide suggestions for improvement
• Determine if award granted
• Is this a document to use as an example?

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Achieving the GFOA CAnFR Award

• Tips Tricks

• Financial assets/liabilities definitions
• Relation to revenue/expenditures
• Cash flow statement
• Notes to the F/S
• Linking F/S to narratives

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Achieving the GFOA CAnFR Award
AWARD WINNERS FOR FISCAL YEARS ENDED IN 2002

• City of Abbotsford, British Columbia
• http//www.city.abbotsford.bc.ca/annual20report/T
  OC.pdf
• City of Coquitlam, British Columbia
• http//www.coquitlam.ca/NR/rdonlyres/2C6AAE58-8140
  -4B40-9C75-915D1A6D4334/0/2003AnnualReport.pdf
• City of Edmonton, Alberta
• City of Kelowna, British Columbia
• http//www.city.kelowna.bc.ca/citypage/docs/pdfs/d
  epartments/city20managers20office/communications
  20section/200220annual20financial20report.pdf
• City of Lethbridge, Alberta
• http//www.lethbridge.ca/NR/rdonlyres/2F8CE969-6DE
  9-411E-B3AB-340EC5A532B8/983/2003AnnualReport1.pdf

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Achieving the GFOA CAnFR Award
AWARD WINNERS FOR FISCAL YEARS ENDED IN 2002

• City of Medicine Hat, Alberta
• http//www.city.medicine-hat.ab.ca
• City of Mississauga, Ontario
• City of Montreal, Quebec
• http//www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/finances/rapfin/r
  apfina.shtm
• City of Port Alberni, British Columbia
• http//www.city.port-alberni.bc.ca/
• City of Regina, Saskatchewan
• City of Richmond, British Columbia
• http//www.city.richmond.bc.ca/admin/annual_report
  .htm
• City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• http//www.city.saskatoon.sk.ca/org/finance/report
  s/index.asp

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Achieving the GFOA CAnFR Award
AWARD WINNERS FOR FISCAL YEARS ENDED IN 2002

• City of St. Albert, Alberta
• http//www.city.st-albert.ab.ca/public/data/docume
  nts/ACFE.pdf
• City of Surrey, British Columbia
• http//www.city.surrey.bc.ca/NR/rdonlyres/epfix6te
  6qvjxcyqjtmcrnvddtfp4zwbvv4csx7fxfyof7ajbyclc2jq44
  ijafwjhza4ightvefkvzizarcedfhz5ue/2002FinancialS
  tatements.pdf
• City of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
• http//www.city.yellowknife.nt.ca/userfiles/HTML/n
  ts_1_186_1.html
• Corporation of the City of Brampton, Ontario
• http//www.city.brampton.on.ca/annual_report/repor
  t.tml?rnav0rnav244
• Corporation of the City of Burlington, Ontario
• Corporation of the District of Maple Ridge,
  British Columbia
• http//www.mapleridge.org/municipal/departments/fi
  nance.html

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Achieving the GFOA CAnFR Award
AWARD WINNERS FOR FISCAL YEARS ENDED IN 2002

• Corporation of the District of Pitt Meadows,
  British Columbia
• http//www.pittmeadows.bc.ca/government/general/an
  nualfinreport.html
• Corporation of the Town of Markham, Ontario
• http//www.markham.ca/markham/channels/finserv/ove
  rview.htm
• Corporation of the Town of Oakville, Ontario
• http//www.oakville.ca/TownServices/serv_8324.htm
• County of Lethbridge, Alberta
• Parkland County, Alberta
• Regional Municipality of Peel, Ontario
• http//www.region.peel.on.ca/finance/ar2003/ar2003
  -reports.htm
• Regional Municipality of York, Ontario
• http//www.region.york.on.ca/AboutUs/AnnualRepor
  ts/AnnualReports.htm

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Thanks for your attention!