GAWP Leadership Academy – Level 2, Day 5 Stacey Isaac …Affordability 6. Full Cost Accounting 7....
Transcript of GAWP Leadership Academy – Level 2, Day 5 Stacey Isaac …Affordability 6. Full Cost Accounting 7....
http://efc.sog.unc.edu @EFCatUNC
GAWP Leadership Academy – Level 2, Day 5
Stacey Isaac Berahzer Senior Project Director Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina GAWP Headquarters
October 30, 2014
http://efc.sog.unc.edu @EFCatUNC 2
Dedicated to enhancing the ability of governments and other organizations to provide environmental programs and services in fair, effective, and financially sustainable ways through:
• Applied Research • Teaching and Outreach
• Program Design and Evaluation
How you pay for it matters
Outline
• Introduction • Accounting • Financial Reporting • Budgeting • Funding Methods • Affordability (of rates) • Full Cost Accounting (covered in Level 1) • Asset Management/Benchmarking
3
40 Second Introductions
1. Name? 2. Organization? 3. Responsibility? 4. One thing I hope to get out of this session
is …
Which of the following MOST interests you?
1. Accounting 2. Fin. Reporting 3. Budgeting 4. Funding Methods 5. Affordability 6. Full Cost Accounting 7. Asset Management
Accountin
g
Fin. R
eporting
Budgetin
g
Funding M
ethods
Affordabilit
y
Full C
ost Acco
unting
Asset M
anagement
3% 3%
28% 28%
10%
21%
7%
Introduction - Public Water and Wastewater Characteristics
• These utilities are enterprises • They raise bulk of their revenues generally
from bills and other fees • They have a high percentage of fixed costs • They protect public health and environment • They are service industries • They are production industries • They are self-regulating monopolies • They are balanced by democracy
6 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
ACCOUNTING
7
Government Accounting • GAAP – Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles – establishes the rules & conventions that guide
the form and content of general-purpose financial statements
• GASB – Governmental Accounting Standards Board – the primary standard-setting authority for
gov’t, excluding the federal gov’t
8 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Fund Accounting
• An accounting system that is unique to state & local gov’t
• A government’s resources are segregated into categories, (i.e. “funds”) to identify both the source of funds and the use of funds
• State and local governments use three broad categories of funds: governmental funds, proprietary funds and fiduciary funds
9 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Fund Accounting
FUN
DS
Government
General
Special Revenue
Debt Service
Capital Projects
Permanent
Proprietary Enterprise
Internal Service Fiduciary …
10 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Where would water and wastewater fall?
Fund Accounting
FUN
DS
Government
General
Special Revenue
Debt Service
Capital Projects
Permanent
Proprietary Enterprise Example:
Water/Sewer
Internal Service Fiduciary …
11 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Fund Accounting
• Examples of Government Funds: – General Fund – each gov’t has one account for
all resources that are not required to be accounted for in other funds. Includes most major gov’t functions such as police, fire, sanitation etc.
– special revenue – established to account for resources that are legally restricted for specific purposes, e.g. lottery money for education
– capital projects – used when buying/building major capital facilities
12 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Exercise 1– “Fun with Funds”
Activity Fund(s) Police An electric utility system Construction of a new wastewater plant Public Transit Municipal motor vehicle pool (maintenance)
13
Which fund(s) should be used to account for the following activities:
Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Which fund should be used to account for police?
1. General 2. Special Revenue 3. Debt Service 4. Capital Projects 5. Enterprise 6. Internal Service
General
Specia
l Revenue
Debt Servi
ce
Capital P
rojects
Enterpris
e
Internal S
ervice
94%
0%6%
0%0%0%
Which fund should be used to account for an electric utility system?
General
Specia
l Revenu...
Debt Servi
ce
Capital P
rojec...
Enterpris
e
Internal S
ervi...
13%6%
0%
74%
3%3%
1. General 2. Special Revenue 3. Debt Service 4. Capital Projects 5. Enterprise 6. Internal Service
Which fund should be used to account for an electric utility system?
General
Specia
l Revenu...
Debt Servi
ce
Capital P
rojec...
Enterpris
e
Internal S
ervi...
0% 0% 0%3%
97%
0%
1. General 2. Special Revenue 3. Debt Service 4. Capital Projects 5. Enterprise 6. Internal Service
Which fund should be used to account for Public
Transit?
General
Specia
l Revenu...
Debt Servi
ce
Capital P
rojec...
Enterpris
e
Internal S
ervi...
0% 0% 0%
33%
67%
0%
1. General 2. Special Revenue 3. Debt Service 4. Capital Projects 5. Enterprise 6. Internal Service
Which fund should be used to account for municipal motor vehicle pool (maintenance)?
General
Specia
l Revenu...
Debt Servi
ce
Capital P
rojec...
Enterpris
e
Internal S
ervi...
50%
3%
37%
3%3%3%
1. General 2. Special Revenue 3. Debt Service 4. Capital Projects 5. Enterprise 6. Internal Service
Depreciation
• Loss of use & value; or • “The systematic & rational allocation of the
cost of tangible noncurrent operating assets over the period benefited by the use of the asset”
Source: Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting: Concepts and Practices, By Michael H. Granof, Saleha B. Khumawalas
19
GASB 34
• Passed in 1999; should have been implemented by every local gov’t by FY 2004
• It states that gov’ts need to include depreciation in the financial statements, in order to: – Evaluate whether the government's current-year
revenues were sufficient to pay for current-year services
– See the cost of providing services to its citizenry – Understand the extent to which the government
has invested in capital assets… Source: GASB 34 Preface and Summary, GASB
20
Capitalizable Asset
• Two years or more of useful life and has materiality (e.g. cost $500 or more; or cost $10,000 or more)
21 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
FINANCIAL REPORTING
22
Financial Planning and Reporting Tools
• Annual reports • Financial Statements • Accounting reports • CIPs • Cash flow plans • Annual budgets • Performance measures
23 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Planning Tools - Examples
• 10 Year Needs • 5 Year Capital Improvement Plan • 8 year Financial Plan • 1 Year Budget
24 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Budgeting
• Budget - An instrument to implement and manage public policy by obtaining and appropriating the necessary resources for service delivery
• Budget Process – activities that encompass the development, implementation, and evaluation of the budget for the provision of services
25 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Budgeting Tools
• Inflationary Adjustment – converting current dollars into constant (real) dollars based on a selected index
• Consumer Price Index – an indicator that measures the change in prices paid for a fixed basket of goods and services as purchased by average urban consumers
• Construction Cost Index - calculated by Engineering News-Record; tracks the change in price for a specific combination of construction labor, steel, concrete, cement and lumber
26 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
GFOA
• Government Finance Officers Association • Offers awards in several categories for
proper finance documents • Mission – “to enhance and promote the
professional management of governments for the public benefit by identifying and developing financial policies and best practices and promoting their use through education, training, facilitation of member networking, and leadership”
27 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Exercise 2 – Reading Financial Statements
28
COMMON FUNDING METHODS
29
Who Really Pays
• Current customers (you) • New customers • Future customers (the next generation) • The people that own and buy products
from industries (including you) • US tax payer (including you and some
lady who lives in San Francisco, CA!)
30 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
How the Payments are Made
• Save in advance and pay • Pay as you go (current receipts) • Pay afterwards (someone loans you
money) • Grants
31 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Where Do You Get Your Capital?
• Reserve funds • Current year’s revenues • Government grants and loans • Commercial debt market
32 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Where Does the Money Come From?
• Loans • Grants • Bonds • User fees • Assessments • Impact fees • Taxes
33 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
About Grants
34
NOT a good way to find a grant!
Grants Aren’t Completely Free Money
• Application for the grant can be expensive – staff time and money
• Applications can take months to process
• Often lots of strings attached
• Often require a percentage match
• Lots of competition
• Difficult to sustain
35
$0$2$4$6$8
$10$12$14
Total (in 2000 Dollars)
CWSRF
EPA Line Item
Construction Grant
Major Grants Have Diminished; Replaced by Loans
EPA Wastewater Spending by Type (billions of dollars)
http://efc.sog.unc.edu/project/gff
Click here to access the following table
37
38
A new addition?: WRRDA Background
Source: http://transportation.house.gov/wrrda/)
• Signed into Public Law 113-121 on June 10th, 2014
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
• Authorized 34 big water projects, including the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP)
• Amended the CWSRF Program (expanded and added FSPs)
• Created Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority (WIFIA)
Relationships: WRRDA, WIFIA and CWSRF
WRRDA (Water Resources Reform &
Development Act )
CWSRF (Clean Water State Revolving
Fund)
WIFIA (Water Infrastructure
Finance and Innovation Authority)
Bonds
• A written promise to repay borrowed money (on a definite schedule and usually at a fixed rate of interest for the life of the bond)
• Different types exist: – General Obligation (GO) – Revenue
41 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
The Trouble with Loans/Bonds is …
they need to be repaid!!
42 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
User Fees
• Charged regularly to all customers: industrial, commercial and residential
• Customers’ bills relate to their consumption (usually)
• Utilities can develop rates based on their expected costs
• Example – water/sewer/stormwater utility fees
43 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Assessments
• A recurrent charge to a sub-group of the population
• The sub-group receives benefits from an environmental service or improvement not enjoyed by others in the area
• Close cost/benefit relationship equity
44 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Impact Fees
• One-time charges to new users • Typically assessed when building permits
are issued • Close cost/benefit relationship equity
45 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Taxes
• Charged against: – Income (federal/state level)
– Property (local level)
– Sales (state level, with surcharges at the local level)
• Local Sales Tax – Example: SPLOST
46 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Taxes - SPLOST
• Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax • 1% county sales tax (municipalities may get
involved as well) • Available since 1980s • Must be approved by referendum • NOT applicable to O&M costs
47 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Slide compiled by UNC EFC 48
Taxes – Tax Increment Financing
• All “new” property taxes for an area are reinvested into the same area
• Particularly applicable to urban, blighted areas • Example: Atlantic Station, Atlanta
– On the Atlantic Steel Mill brownfield site in Midtown Atlanta
– Redeveloped 138 acres into a “live-work-play” area – 2,800 new trees planted – Detention facilities to reduce peak run off
49 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Trust Funds
• Special account set up to receive and disburse revenues for a specific program/activity
• Legislature may pledge revenue from a funding source - trust fund created to manage revenue
50 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
SETTING USER RATES A closer look at User Fees
What Goes Into Reviewing Rates for the Next Year?
Do these rates send the right signals to our
customers, based on our objectives?
Will it provide sufficient cost recovery?
Are we allocating the costs to the
right customers?
What exactly does this include?
Will our customers understand these
rates?
Will our customers be
able to pay these rates?
Are we following
State law?
The Process of Setting Rates Learn essential background information about rates
Determine critical characteristics of your utility and
community
Design the most
appropriate rate
structure
Compute the rates using projected
costs and revenues
Re-evaluate/adjust rate structure to fit primary objectives
Cost-of-Service Study
Basic Principles
• Aim at full cost pricing • Set equitable rates • Share rate structure with customers • Rate should be easy to understand • Rates should be examined annually • Consider fixed costs vs. variable costs • Allow for reserve account(s) • Promote water conservation? • Promote economic development?
Background Information: How Rates and Usage Interact
Set rates based on projected water use
Raising rates lowers water use Rule of thumb: water use declines ~2-6% as rates increase 10%
Background Information: How Rates and Usage Interact
Public Perception: Utility Reality:
Source: Fayetteville Observer 2/6/2004 Source: Orange Water & Sewer Authority
Utilities’ costs are mostly fixed, not dependent on the amount of water sold/used by the customers. But the majority of revenues come from the amount of water sold. If customers conserve, revenues drop significantly but not costs.
Why Does this Happen? Revenue and Expenses for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities in a Given Year
Source: CMU Director Doug Bean’s presentation to the Charlotte City Council on December 1, 2008.
EXERCISE 3 Rank Rate Setting Objectives
58
Understanding Your Utility and Served Community
• What is the make up of your served community? Have a lot of large families? What is the community’s
ability to pay? Is it a seasonal community? Does demand vary greatly in the summer? Does a large fraction of your revenues come from a small number of customers?
• Do you anticipate any large capital expenses in the next few years? Check/create your C.I.P. and asset management plan.
• Do you have any debt service payment requirements? • Do you expect to meet demands comfortably (in case
there is a drought)? • Rank your utility’s rate setting objectives
Before You Begin: Rank Your Utility’s Rate Setting Objectives
1. ________ 2. ________ 3. ________ 4. ________
Full cost recovery/ revenue stability
Encouraging conservation
Fostering business-friendly
practices
Maintaining affordability (keeping rates
low – to whom?)
Refer to this list and focus on the highest ranked objectives when
following the guidelines for selecting the appropriate rate
structure design.
Groups
1. Lorraine, Lance, Joseph, Wayne, Jenerrah, Billy, Sean
2. Jennifer, Michael R, Chip, Thomas, Tracy, Scott, Robert
3. Bret, Autron, Nathan, Ted, Daniel, Tammie, Jason
4. Gregory, Matthew, Marcus, Kevin, Vic, Johnny
5. Deanna, Damond, John, Guy, Michael M, Emily
61
Guidelines: Elements of Rate Structure Designs
1. Customer classes/distinction 2. Billing period 3. Base charge 4. Consumption allowance included with base
charge 5. Volumetric rate structure 6. (If applicable) Number of blocks, block sizes
and rate differentials 7. (Optional) Temporal adjustments 8. Frequency of rate changes
Scenario: Rural Water Utility With Naturally High Costs and Excess Capacity, Wants to Maintain Affordability
1. Customer class: possibly create separate residential class. 2. Billing period: use monthly. 3. Base charge: if majority of customers use little water, charge
fair base charge and include allowance. Otherwise, low base charge, and shift high rates to high volume users.
4. Consumption allowance: if including, set at a lifeline amount (~2,000 gallons/month).
5. Volumetric rate structure: probably use uniform 6. (If applicable) Block design: if using, first block at least 4,000
GPM, depending on your customers’ consumption. 7. (Optional) Temporal adjustments: none. 8. Frequency of rate changes: annual.
Note: Set up a customer assistance program: http://efc.sog.unc.edu/reslib/item/customer-assistance-program-costing-tool-north-carolina.
Pricing Out Your Rate Structure (References)
Use any of several reference documents with step by step instructions on calculating projected costs, revenues and rates:
• AWWA (2000). Principles of Water Rates, Fees, and Charges: Manual of Water Supply Practices, M1.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2006). Setting Small Drinking Water System Rates for a Sustainable Future: One of the Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) Guide Series. EPA 816-R-05-006. Office of Water, Washington DC. 62 pages. http://www.epa.gov/waterinfrastructure/pdfs/final_ratesetting_guide.pdf
• Georgia Environmental Protection Division (2007). Conservation-Oriented Rate Structures. http://www1.gadnr.org/cws/Documents/Conservation_Rate_Structures.pdf
AFFORDABILITY
65
Making the Case for Considering Affordability
66
Altruistic Reasons
• Wanting to help folks! • Caring about your customers
67 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Your Bottom Line
When customers have trouble paying their
bills, there is a cost to the utility, in the form of: – Arrearages – Late payments – Disconnection notices – Terminating the service – Fielding calls from the delinquent customers
68 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Concept of Lifeline Rates
• “Providing a minimal amount of water, at a reduced cost to all customers, regardless of income level or ability to pay”
– Source: AWWA Manual M1 • Often some consumption is included in the
base charge
69 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
70
0
50
100
150
200
250
0
1-1,
000
1,00
1-2,
000
2,00
1-3,
000
3,00
1-4,
000
>4,0
00
Num
ber o
f Rat
e St
ruct
ures
Monthly Consumption Allowance (gal/month)
Consumption included with Base Charge for Residential Customers among 455 Water and 343 Wastewater Rate
Structures
Water Wastewater
Source: Water and Sewer Rates and Rate Structures in Georgia September 2012, by GEFA/EFC Slide compiled by UNC EFC
National Affordability Guidelines
• Safe Drinking Water Act established special assistance in those communities that have an average residential bill of over 2% of MHI
• USDA has a program to provide funds for water and sewer systems. Loans are made for projects where the residential water bills are 1.5% of MHI.
• National “Water Affordability Programs” report: affordability programs should be based on a measure of 2% of income for poor households, rather than using MHI.
Types of Affordability Programs Options facing payment-troubled customers
Percent Number Payment plan to allow customer to pay amount over time 76% 231 Customer referral to private, nonutility agency 54% 163 Customer referral to a local gov. agency for assistance 49% 149 Education 35% 105 In-home conservation assistance 25% 76 Special billing arrangements 21% 64 Change in the rate customer is charged 8% 24 Other 8% 24 One-time bill credit from utility funds 3% 8
2010, Best Practices in Customer Payment Assistance Programs, Water Research Foundation #4404
Where is Your Assistance Going?
If you aren’t using full cost pricing, its likely
that the large water users are benefiting significantly more in absolute terms than your small water users.
73 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
FULL COST ACCOUNTING
74
Applications of Full Cost Accounting
• Calculating of efficiency measures • Comparing costs to other jurisdictions • Documenting program costs for grant
applications • Developing user fees • Analysis of expenditure trends for a
service
75 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Full Cost Hierarchy
• Operating expenditures • Reactive maintenance • Capital to serve new customers • Mandated watershed/water quality protection • Proactive maintenance • Asset management/capital rehabilitation • Non-mandated watershed protection
76 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Single vs. Triple Bottom Line
77
Source: Seattle Public Utilities Quickstart Guide: Project Development Plans
BENCHMARKS
78
IMPACT Benchmarking
• What does the indicator tell us about our utility that will have an IMPACT on how we do business.
• Which indicators can and should we use to monitor the IMPACT of our financial management efforts and impacts.
79 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
80
Indicators
• Operating Ratio = Operating Expenses/Operating Revenues
• Operating Margin = (Operating Revenues –Operating Expenses)/Operating Revenues
Operating Expenses include Depreciation
which is not a cash expenditure
81 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
Ratings
82
Credit Quality Moody's S&P Fitch IBCAPrime Aaa AAA AAA
Excellent Aa AA AAUpper medium A A ALower medium Baa BBB BBBSpeculative Ba BB BB
Very speculative B B B
Source: The Bond Market Association
Improving Your Credit Rating
Management quality is a key aspect in the credit assessment of these sectors, and it is reflected in their financial operations and budgeting, capital improvement planning, construction management.....
83
Source: Moody’s Water and Sewer Rating Methodology
“Anatomy of a Rare Unenhanced Aaa-Rating: Cobb County, GA”
• “Gilt-edged security” • Strong management • Affordable rates balanced with periodic
adjustments • Long-range planning for adequate
capacity
84
• Effective capital planning
• Well-balanced capital funding
• Strong financial performance
Source: Moody’s
ASSET MANAGEMENT
85
Five Core Components
of Asset Management
Current State of the Assets
Level of Service
Criticality
Life Cycle Costing
Long-Term Funding
Source: New Mexico EFC
EXERCISE 4 Town of Greenville
87
RELEVANT TOOLS
Water and Sewer Rates Analysis Model Free, rate-setting tool using only MS Excel,
developed by the Environmental Finance Center at UNC.
Tool development was funded by the
Public Water Supply Section of DWR/ NCDENR
and partly by the USEPA.
Download the latest version at
http://efc.sog.unc.edu. Find it in Resources /
Tools.
Water and Sewer Rates Analysis Model
http://efc.sog.unc.edu/reslib/item/water-sewer-rates-analysis-model Data Input 1
90
Water and Sewer Rates Analysis Model
• Results are Excel Spreadsheet with: – The Fund Balance Under Existing Rates – The Fund Balance Under Proposed Rates
…Projected for the next 20 years
91
CIP for Water & Wastewater Utilities
Another tool that projects how rates will be impacted by your
capital plan (adjustable) Available at
http://efc.sog.unc.edu Find it in Resources /
Tools.
Affordability of Water and Sewer Rates and the Affordability
Assessment Tool • On the EFC
Website Go to http://efc.sog.unc.edu and search for “Affordability Assessment Tool”
More EFC Related tools
Tools Developed by the EFC at UNC • Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Tool for Water
and Wastewater Utilities, version 2.0 • Water & Sewer Rates Analysis Model, version 2.0 • Dashboard for Using Capital Reserve Fund to
Avoid Rate Shock • Customer Assistance Program Costing Tool • Rates Dashboards for Several Different States’
Water and Wastewater Utilities • Revolving Fund Model • Loan Assistance Program
sog.efc.unc.edu resources tools
94
More Benchmarking Information
• David Ammons - Municipal Benchmarks: Assessing Local Performance and Establishing Community Standards (Sage Publications, 2001)
• AWWA – Benchmarking Performance Indicators for Water and Wastewater Utilities: Survey Data and Analyses Report
95 Slide compiled by UNC EFC
www.efc.unc.edu
Contact
Stacey Isaac Berahzer EFC at University of North Carolina, Georgia Office 770-509-3887 [email protected]