October 4, 2012 2 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference Budget 3.
-
Upload
roland-mcdowell -
Category
Documents
-
view
219 -
download
0
Transcript of October 4, 2012 2 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference Budget 3.
LEGISLATIVE
& LEGAL UPDATES
GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERSASSOCIATION
2012 Fall Conference
PRESENTED BY:
JENIFER SCHAYE GENERAL COUNSEL
DARYL G. PURPERA, CPA, CFELOUISIANA LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR
OCTOBER 4, 2012
October 4, 20122GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Budget3
General Appropriations Act Act 13
• $26.5 billion state budget, comprised of the following sources of revenue:• $11.3 billion in federal funds;• $7.7 billion in state general
funds;• $2.7 billion interagency
transfers;• $2.2 billion in fees and self-
generated revenues; and• $2.6 billion in statutory
dedications.
Funding for Fiscal Year 2012 -2013 • Addressed $220 million deficit in the
current year.• Addressed $304 million shortfall for
next year.• Decreased total spending by $66
million.
Budget Shortfalls
• Tapped the “Rainy Day” fund in SCR 128 to cover $204.7 million REC revenue reduction in current year.
• Reduces use of “one-time” money for recurring expenditures to $273 million.
• Funds sweep and capture of other revenue totaling $397 million in HB 822.
A Balancing Act
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 4
Budget Stabilization Fund
• SCR 128 – Authorized and appropriated the use of one time
“rainy day funds” for FY 2011/2012 and requires that any excess revenue from the 11/12 Fiscal Year up to $204.7 Million be returned to the Budget Stabilization Fund.
– Administration argues only applies to revenues recognized on or before June 30, 2012.
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference 5
43%
25%
13%
7%
7%3%
2% K-12 & Special Schools (SGF $3.315 B / Total $5.439 B)
DHH & LSU HCSD (SGF $1.934 B / Total $9.757 B)
Higher Ed (SGF $993.6 M / Total $2.913 B)
Public Safety & Juv. Justice (SGF $530 M / Total $1.037 B)
Other Requirements (SGF $506 M / Total $757 M)
General Gov't (SGF $272 M / Total $5.766 B)
Children & Family Services (SGF $162 M / Total $809 M)
State General Fund(SGF) AllocationFY 2012-2013
NOTE: The dollar figures above do not include a $37 Million SGF reduction mandated by the preamble in HB 1, which reductions are to be allocated by the Commissioner of Administration.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 6
$4.3 Billion State Capital Construction Budget
.
Priority 1 – Reauthorization of existing projects; eligible for a cash line of credit: $1.54 B
Priority 2 – Proposed new funding for projects; eligible for a cash line of credit: $277 M
Priority 3 – Proposed future funding for projects; must receive a line of credit: $14.5 M
Priority 5 – Both proposed new funding and reauthorizations of existing funding for projects; eligible for a non-cash line of credit: $1.15 B
Division of Administration recommends projects for receipt of both cash and non-cash lines of credit. The State Bond Commission considers and grants lines of credit.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 7
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Ethics
8
Ethics
• Act 488 – Exempts uncompensated volunteer fire and police
personnel from mandatory annual ethics training.
• Act 574 – Modifies filing deadlines and rules for notices
relative to financial disclosure statements.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 9
Ethics
• Act 607 – Provides for changes to the appeals process for
the ethics adjudications.• Act 608 – Clarifies the roles of the Ethics Board and Ethics
Adjudicatory Boards and the process for adjudicating alleged ethics violations. Modifies the one year period for the Board to bring charges and makes this prescriptive.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 10
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Public Bid
11
Public Bid & Public Contracts
• Act 142 – Amends R.S. 38:2212.10 to clarify that the
required E-Verify attestations by public contractors is only for contracts for Public Works.
• Act 598 – Amends R.S. 38:2227(A) to only require
attestation of lack of convictions of certain crimes by lowest bidder.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 12
Public Bid & Public Contracts
• Act 647 – Amends R.S. 38:2215 to require execution of a contract
within 45 days of selection of lowest bidder if documents are submitted in 10 days and no bid challenges are made.
• Act 655 – Amends the definition of “Public Works” to exclude
operation of any public facility or immovable property owned, used, or leased by a public entity.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 13
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Public Meetings
14
Public Meetings
• Act 461 – Restricts amendments to an agenda less than 24
hours before meeting and places additional requirements regarding procedures for agenda items.
• Act 747 – Requires additional posting of meeting notices to
public entities website no less than 24 hours prior to meeting.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 15
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Economic Development
16
Economic Development & Tax Credits and Rebates
• Act 507 – Establishes the Competitive Projects Payroll Incentive Program.
• Act 25 – Authorizes a tax rebate (up to 95%) for donations to a school tuition
organization for non-public k-12 schools.
• HR 106– Requests various state entities to provide information relative to
existing statutory dedications and tax deductions, exclusions, and credits and to report findings and recommendations to the legislature
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 17
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Ad Valorem 18
Ad Valorem
• Act 218 – Provides for the duties of the Sheriff (tax collectors) and the Louisiana
Legislative Auditor in the remittance of monies to public retirement systems from tax collections.
• Act 283 – Amends the notice requirements of ballot language for the creation or
renewal of ad valorem taxes.
• Act 539 – Provides changes to the notice requirements for the levying of
additional or increased millage rates without voter approval.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 19
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Investments
20
Investments
• Act 264 – Provides for investments by Hospital Service
Districts.• Act 282 – Provides for investments by political subdivisions
concerning investments in bonds, debentures, notes, etc issued by the State of Louisiana or its political subdivisions.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 21
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Retirement
22
RETIREMENT
• Act 483– Creates a cash balance retirement plan for:• LASERS nonhazardous duty employees• Higher education members of TRSL
– Effective for Employees hired on or after July 1, 2013
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference 23
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Transportation
24
Transportation
• Act 512 – Repeals R.S. 32:392.1 and allows for
impoundment of vehicles upon first offense for failure to provide proof of car insurance.
• Act 865 – Provides for local vote on the renewal of tolls for
the Crescent City Connection.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 25
Transportation
• SCR 20 – Requests that the Department of Transportation and Development
(DOTD) hold public meetings relative to proposed closures of public railroad crossings on non-state maintained parish and municipal roads.
• Of Note– The proponents and opponents of traffic cameras used to catch speeders came to a non-
legislative resolution by agreeing to establish schedules of “speed zone thresholds” above which tickets can be issued and requiring cities to post additional signs warning motorists of a camera-enforced area.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 26
OF INTEREST
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Registration and Voting Tax RefundsElection Day
• Act 451 provides relative to registration and voting by certain
displaced registrants
• Act 818 allows state taxpayer who files a paper tax return to
select to get his refund in the form of a check
instead of a debit card.
• Act 577 delays the opening of voting polls
by one hour, from 6 to 7 a.m., except for elections
held on Tuesdays
27
OF INTEREST
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Public ServantSale of Pets on Roadsides
• Act 349 allows for the expenditure of public
funds for certain awards and meals for firemen.
• Act 700 prohibits the sale of dogs and cats on the side of the road or
other public place, or in any parking lot unless
authorized by owner of the lot.
SCR 107 authorizes and directs public agencies to provide annual in-service education and
training on sexual harassment for its
public servants.
Firemen
28
OF INTEREST
October 4, 2012 GFOA - 2012 Fall Conference
Bullying School BoardsSchool Computers
• Act 861 is designed to strengthen the current
anti-bullying law. It further requires training for school employees on how to detect bullying.
• Act 386 requires local option elections in local school districts on term limits for school board
members.
• Act 436 authorizes school boards to sell
used personal computing devices to
students or their parents or guardians.
29
Proposed Constitutional Amendments
• Act 868 – Would authorize the forfeiture of public retirement benefits by any
public servant convicted of a felony associated with and committed during his public service.
• Act 871 – Would authorize the granting of ad valorem tax exemption contracts
for businesses located in parishes which have chosen to participate in a program established for the granting of such contracts.
• Act 872– Proposes changes regarding constitutional filing deadlines for
legislation making changes to public retirement systems
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 30
Recent Attorney General Opinions
• 12-0095– Since the Capital Area Transit System is not a city, town or village, any
special ad valorem tax levied by it is subject to the homestead exemption.
• 12-0048– School boards must comply with both the provisions of
R.S. 39:1305(C)(2)(a) &(b) in budgeting under the Local Government Budget Act (LGBA).
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 31
Recent Attorney General Opinions
• 11-0249– Reimbursement for services performed by a volunteer firefighter is
permissible as long as such payments are nominal.
• 11-0210– A custodian of a public record is not required to convert its public
records into a format it does not already utilize in order to comply with a public records request.
• 11-0146– The Louisiana Board of Ethics has authority to approve and perfect a
binding consent opinion with a person who has allegedly violated laws under the jurisdiction of the Board of Ethics, and has the authority to sign that consent opinion without the concurrence of the Ethics Adjudicatory Board.
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 32
Recent Cases of Note
• COMMUNITY PRESS, LLC D/B/A CENTRAL CITY NEWS v. CH2M HILL, INC, No. 2011-CA-0682, 2012 WL 601880 (La. App. 1 Cir.), writ denied, 85 So.3d 1274 (La. 2012)
• LIVINGSTON PARISH COUNCIL ON AGING v. WILLIE GRAVES, SHERIFF OF LIVINGSTON PARISH, No. 2011-CA-0787 (La. App. 1 Cir. 12/21/11) writ granted, 85 So.3d 1279 (La. 2012)
• STATE OF LOUISIANA V. MICHAEL PETITTO, 59 So.3d 1245 (La. 2011), rehearing denied, 4/29/11
GFOA - 2012 Fall ConferenceOctober 4, 2012 33