ACCOUNTING DIVISION

 

Additional information about the Accounting Division may be obtained by calling Michelle Price, Controller, at (919) 469-4048 or through e-mail at michelle.price@townofcary.org.

 

TOWN OF CARY GOALS AND INITIATIVES

Town Focus Areas

Focus Area I:

Community Planning

Focus Area II:  Infrastructure

Focus Area III:  Financial Condition

Focus Area IV:  Municipal Services

Town Goals

Achieve a well-planned community using innovative and proactive planning approaches and techniques.

Ensure that roads, water and wastewater facilities, parks, and other infrastructure exists for the existing citizens and for the future needs identified in the comprehensive plan.

Achieve a stable and strong financial position by accurately estimating, prudently allocating, and managing financial resources.

Achieve a high level of service to the citizens in a prompt, reliable, responsive, and cost-effective manner.

Town Initiatives

(pages 2 and 3 of this document contain full descriptions of each Town Initiative)

Growth Management

  Long Range Water Resources

Housing Program

Comprehensive Planning

Land Use Plan

Environmental Concerns

Infrastructure and Level of Service Standards

Fiscal Plan

Water, Wastewater, Transportation Infrastructure

Broad Band Technology Services

Long Term Financial Plan

Performance Measurement

Short Term Financial Planning

Review Operations

Cost Consciousness and Sustained Service Provision

Public Involvement

Departmental Goals and Initiatives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2, 3,

5

 

 

 

2,

3,

5

10,

11,

12,

17

 

1, 2,

3, 4,

9, 13,

15, 16

 

7, 8,

9,

11,

12,

13,17

 

6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 18

 

 

DIVISION GOALS AND INITIATIVES

Debt & Cash Management

1.       Manage cash balances of over $300 million in accordance with the Town’s financial policies to protect capital,  provide liquidity and then to maximize investment earnings to provide funds for the Town’s operational and capital needs. 

2.       Forecast cash flow to maximize investment earnings and postpone debt issuance. 

3.       Manage debt issuance including long-term debt planning, financings, covenant compliance, arbitrage management and application of bond proceeds.

4.       Ensure principal and interest payments on over $255 million in debt are made timely and in accordance with bond covenants and commitments.

5.       Participate in long-range financial planning for the Town.

Revenue Management

6.       Manage delinquent collections of final utility bills and collections for all other areas of the Town.

7.       Manage invoicing for all non-utility bill charges.

8.       License and provide customer service to approximately 8,000 businesses subject to the Town’s business licensing laws.

9.       Implement and monitor financial administrative procedures for new programs Town-wide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial Records & Reporting

10.    Maintain financial records through timely and accurate accounting, analysis and reconciliation.

11.    Provide customer service to Town staff and public through compilation and analysis of meaningful financial reports.

12.    Prepare and distribute an audited Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Town of Cary accurately on or before regulatory due dates.

Expenditure Management

13.    Prepare accurate bi-weekly payroll and provide payroll customer service to over 1,300 Town employees.

14.    Prepare weekly vendor payments maximizing cash balances, discount opportunities and staff and vendor relationships.

Grant and Contract Management

15.    Provide technical assistance and accounting for acquisition, reporting and management of grant funding.

16.    Review Town contracts for compliance with financial policies.

Internal Control

17.    Assess and monitor internal control throughout the Town including the performance of internal reviews throughout Town to ensure policy compliance, to identify efficiencies and to improve internal control by reducing the Town’s risk of error, fraud and waste.

18.    Provide training to employees in areas such as the security of sensitive information, financial information system basics and purchasing/accounts payable process and guidelines.

 

 

FY 2008 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Programs, Contracts and Departmental Assistance

·         Facilitated a detailed business analysis and subsequent software training in the building permits process which identified efficiencies and opportunities to improve internal control. 

·         Coordinated with other departments to improve procedures to efficiently manage land purchases, restricted funds, school impact fee collection, fee credits, fiber relocation, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources (PRCR) ticket sales, and new and enhanced PRCR programs.

·         Planned for implementation of procurement card software that will provide more timely and detailed expenditure information and improve procurement card expenditure oversight

·         Worked with Planning staff to improve the review processes surrounding accessory use permits & home occupations, general licensing, employee housing loan program, on-line plans submittal and C-Tran ticket management & fare changes.

·         Participated on a team to improve digital and traditional record storage.

·         Supported multiple departments in their attainment, receipt and management of grant awards and federal appropriations including the review of grant agreements, management support and resolution of complex grant requirements.

·         Created financial management training program to include quarterly training for new users, required annual training for the security of sensitive information and other miscellaneous training as requested by departments. 

·         Improved merchant account configurations in order to reduce the cost of credit card fees for utility payments.

·         Implemented check writing and printer improvements to lower supply costs and enhance internal control.

 

Reporting and Auditing

·         Initiated internal audit reviews of accounts payable transactions, electronic banking authority and procurement card purchases.

·         Coordinated with PRCR Department and external auditors to develop and perform procedures to verify soccer tenant revenue.

·         Created detailed system documentation across Town for all major systems required by new audit standards.

·         Performed the review of Federal Transit Authority reporting information in house to save over $6,000 in external audit fees

·         Assisted the sales tax audit team from Wake County in verifying sales tax information on Town purchases to improve sales tax reimbursements in Wake County.

·         Initiated a comprehensive, entity wide risk assessment to identify audit risk areas based on specific risk factors as they relate to operations, internal control and liability.  The results of the assessment will be used to create an internal audit plan to mitigate potential loss due to error, fraud, inefficiency and to promote compliance with statutory requirements. 

·         In conjunction with Utility Billing and Human Resources, implemented a user friendly query tool for extracting information and developing various reports.

·         Produced the FY 2007 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report on time and without management letter comment from external auditors.

Treasury Management

·         Initiated an external review of debt policies.

·         Managed investment portfolio of over $300 million to stated goals of safety, liquidity and then maximization of yield through cash flow forecasting, daily oversight and market analysis.

 

KEY PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

·         Ensure that the average daily invested cash as a percentage of average daily cash ledger balance is greater than or equal to 90%.

·         Earn an average rate of return on investments is at least 50 basis points higher than the six-month Treasury Bill rate.

·         Ensure that no more than 10% of average receivables are greater than 60 days old.

·         Earn the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association.

·         Submit CAFR to regulatory agencies by established deadlines.

·         Reconcile major balance sheet accounts within 30 days of month end closing.

·         Address 95% of employee and departmental questions within two business days.

·         Pay 20% of vendors electronically per week.

 

 

KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES

 

Performance Measure

Actual

FY 2007

Estimated

FY 2008

Projected

FY 2009

% average daily cash invested

 

98%

99%

99%

Basis points over average two-year Treasury note rate

 

20

40

25

% of average receivables over 60 days old

 

6%

5%

5%

Receipt of Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting

 

Yes

Goal

Goal

Submitted CAFR to the Local Government Commission by October 31

 

Yes

Goal

Goal

Average no. of days spent to reconcile major balance sheet accounts

 

30 days

30 days

30 days

% of departmental and employee inquiries addressed within two business days

 

95%

95%

95%

% of payments made electronically per week

13%

16%

20%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KEY WORKLOAD INDICATORS

 

Workload Indicator

Actual

FY 2007

Estimated

FY 2008

Projected

FY 2009

Average no. of payroll transactions per pay period (a)

 

2,500

 

2,700

 

2,850

Average no. of accounts payable transactions processed per week (b)

                In-house checks

                Outsourced checks

                Electronic payments (c)

 

 

 

20

200

30

 

 

                               25

210

40

 

 

25

220

55

Average pooled cash balance  

 

$352,000,000

$350,000,000

$350,000,000

Average receivable balance

 

$3,300,000

 $3,800,000

$4,000,000

Average receivables over 60 days old

 

<$198,000

<$190,000

<$200,000

No. privilege licenses issued

 

7,700

8,000

8,250

No. of contracts reviewed annually

264

336

425

(a)     In addition to standard payroll payments, it also includes benefit changes like retirement system updates and other file maintenance issues like bank account updates for direct deposit.

(b)     Does not include procurement card transactions

(c)     Includes vendor direct deposit, wires and direct drafts.  Vendor direct deposit started in September 2006.

 

ACTIVITY HISTORY

Fund Number:  10-4410

 

Activity

Actual

FY 2005

Actual

FY 2006

Actual

FY 2007

Estimated

FY 2008

Budget

FY 2009

 

Personnel Services

 

 

$991,220

 

$1,056,138

 

 

$1,159,192

$1,267,030

$1,406,703

Operations and Maintenance

 

$414,713

$473,465

$509,728

$891,192

$865,536

Capital Outlay

 

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

Total

 

$1,405,933

$1,529,603

$1,668,920

$2,158,222

$2,272,239

Authorized FTEs

 

14.625

14.625

16.0

16.0

17.0

 

 

SIGNIFICANT BUDGET AND SERVICE LEVEL CHANGES BEYOND CURRENT LEVELS

·         Implement new audit standards for FY2008 audit, which will significantly impact the entire Accounting Division staff, as well as one of the Finance staff positions.

·         Address financial and internal control issues surrounding new initiatives including, but not limited to, USA Baseball, Cary Elementary, on-line plans review.

·         Address financial and internal control issues related to significant changes and expansions in areas like C-Tran ticket management, PRCR ticket master issues and other cultural arts programming.

·         Manage Financial projects and technology implementations on a timely/proactive basis.

·         Proactive and timely development of procedures and provision of training.

·         Offering paperless options for bi-weekly payroll “stubs” and annual W-2’s.

·         Identify ways to use financial system more effectively and receive appropriate training/resources to make changes that are needed.

·         Provide user friendly reports with Financial and other related information in a format that is easy and accessible to all departments.

·         Improve tracking grant information in order to produce reports easily when needed.