Financial Structure, Policy and Process

Objectives

1. To maintain the County’s stable financial position.
2. To ensure implementation of adopted policies in an efficient and effective manner.
3. To secure the highest possible credit and bond ratings by meeting or exceeding the requirements of bond rating agencies through sound, conservative financial decision making.
4. To comply with all legal requirements.

Operating Budget Summary

The County’s Annual Budget Ordinance is balanced in accordance with the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act (N.C.G.S. 159-8 (a)). A balanced budget means that revenues or appropriated fund balance is equal to expenditures. The County’s Annual Budget Ordinance is adopted by July 1 (N.C.G.S. 159-13 (a)).

The County reviews financial policies annually in the following areas:

Revenue Policy

The County seeks to have diverse revenues to provide stability for consistent service levels and to protect against economic downturns. Revenue management is an ongoing process for reviewing and analyzing revenues to ensure proceeds are at an optimum level. The county estimates revenues conservatively based on trends and the economy. To meet these objectives the County observes the following guidelines:

Ad Valorem (Property) Tax

As provided by the North Carolina Local Budget and Fiscal Control Act, estimated revenue from the Ad Valorem Tax levy is budgeted as follows:

• The county estimates assessed valuation conservatively based on historical trends and growth patterns.
• In accordance with state law, the estimated tax collection rate will not exceed the rate from the preceding fiscal year.

The tax rate will be set each year based on the cost of providing general governmental services and paying debt service.

User Fees

When the county can individually identify a service and its costs, the County maximizes user fees rather than property taxes. This objective is in keeping with the Commissioners’ goal that growth should pay for itself and not place a burden on residents who do not use the service. Emphasis on user fees over property taxes results in the following benefits:

• All users, even those that do not pay property taxes, pay user fees.

• User fees prevent the county from subsidizing services not provided to the public.

• User fees are a means to ration the provision of certain services.

• User fees are equitable and efficient.

• User fees connect an amount paid to a service received.

Grant Funding

The county will pursue opportunities for grant funding when aligned to Board of Commissioner priorities.

Other Revenue

The county appropriates all other revenue through the annual budget process to meet County Commissioner priorities.

Expenditure Policy

The county proactively monitors expenditures to maintain compliance with all requirements. Staff monitor expenditures throughout the year to ensure expenditures do not exceed revenues. The annual budget ordinance defines staff authorized to make budget adjustments during the fiscal year.

The county may only use debt proceeds for the issued purpose or payment of debt principal and interest. Similarly, the county can only spend donations for the stated purpose.

For continuing contracts, the county appropriates funds in the annual budget ordinance to meet current year obligations, in accordance with G.S. 160A-17.

Payroll is in accordance with the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Overtime and benefit payments are made in accordance with the County’s Personnel Ordinance.

Fund Balance Policy

The County will maintain sufficient fund balance to address unanticipated revenue declines, avoid short-term borrowing and cover unbudgeted expenditures resulting from emergencies, natural disasters or unexpected opportunities. The County will not appropriate fund balance for ongoing operating expenditures except in extreme emergencies. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this policy, the County may appropriate fund balance for any use in the general fund to overcome revenue shortfalls related to significant downturns in the economy. 

The Local Government Commission (LGC) requires the county to maintain a minimum unassigned fund balance of 8% of general fund expenditures; however, it is the policy of the County to maintain unassigned fund balance equal to 15% of general fund expenditures.

A replenishment period commences if unassigned fund balance falls below 15%. Funds will be budgeted beginning with the subsequent fiscal year’s adopted budget with a replenishment period not to exceed three consecutive fiscal years.   

Following the completion of the annual financial audit, any unassigned fund balance above 15% transfers to the Community Investment Fund (CIF) or Capital Reserve Fund to reduce reliance on debt; and/or to the Self-Funded Hospitalization and Dental Fund, Workers Compensation and/or Liability Fund to maintain fund integrity.  

Community Investment Fund Policy

The County maintains the Community Investment Fund (CIF) within the general fund to account separately for capital projects and debt. As a means to manage fund balance during both strong economic conditions and downturns, the county will maintain a minimum fund balance within the CIF of 25-35 percent. A replenishment period will commence if CIF fund balance falls below 25 percent. Funds will be budgeted beginning with the subsequent fiscal year’s adopted budget with a replenishment period not to exceed three consecutive fiscal years.

Funding within the CIF will go toward the county’s five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) which projects capital needs and expenditures and details the estimated cost, description and anticipated funding sources for capital projects. The first year of the CIP will be the basis of formal appropriations during the annual budget process. If new project needs arise during the year, a budget amendment will identify the funding sources and project appropriations to provide formal budgetary authority for the project. The CIP generally addresses capital projects with a value of more than $100,000 and a useful life of over five (5) years.

The County will emphasize preventive maintenance as a cost-effective approach to infrastructure maintenance. The County maximizes the use pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) funding for capital projects to reduce the need for debt financing.

Debt Management

Debt for capital projects will not exceed the expected useful life of the project.

The County will maximize the use of pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) funding for capital projects to reduce the need for debt. The general obligation debt of the County will not exceed eight percent of the assessed valuation of taxable property. General fund debt service will not exceed limits imposed and recommended by the Local Government Commission (LGC). The county closely monitors the formulas established by the LGC and rating agencies to make sure they are appropriately applied.

The County seeks the best financing type based on the following considerations: flexibility to meet the project needs, timing, payer equity and lowest interest cost.

The County strives for the highest possible bond rating to minimize the County’s interest expenditures.

The County’s debt policy is comprehensive and the County will not knowingly enter into any contracts creating significant unfunded liabilities.

Accounting/Financial Reporting Policy

The County will maintain an accounting system to monitor revenues and expenditures as required by the North Carolina Local Budget and Fiscal Control Act.

All records and reporting will be in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The basis of accounting within governmental funds is modified accrual. Under this method of accounting, the county records revenue when measurable and available. Enterprise Funds follow the accrual basis of accounting. Under this method of accounting, the county recognizes revenue when earned and expenditures when incurred.

The County will maintain an accounting system that provides strong internal controls designed to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance regarding the safeguarding of assets against loss and the reliability of financial records for preparing financial statements and reports. These reports will be the basis for the budget and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).

An independent public accounting firm will perform an annual audit. Each year the firm will issue an opinion on the county’s annual financial statements, with a management letter detailing areas needing improvement, if required. The county provides full disclosure in all regulatory reports, financial statements and bond representations.

The County maintains an inventory of capital assets. The county maintains reports on inventories and depreciation in accordance with governmental accounting standards.

The CAFR is prepared according to the standards necessary to obtain the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). The county submits the CAFR to the GFOA annually with the goal of receiving the designation.

Cash Management Policy

The purpose of the County’s Cash Management Policy is to provide guidelines to maximize the use of public funds in the best interest of the public.

Receipts

The county collects cash as quickly as possible to provide secure handling of incoming cash and to move funds into interest earning accounts and investments. Staff deposits funds as required by law and does so in a manner to receive credit for that day’s interest. The county maintains cash flow projections to allow investment of funds for longer periods at higher rates of return.

Cash Disbursements

The county seeks to retain money for investment for the longest appropriate period. Staff process disbursements in advance of or on the agreed-upon contractual date of payment, unless earlier payment provides an economic benefit to the County.

The county maintains inventories and supplies at the minimum appropriate level for operations to increase cash availability for investment.

For County checks, dual signatures are required. Facsimile signatures are safely stored and used as appropriate.

Investment Policy

It is the policy of the County to preserve capital and invest public funds to provide the highest investment return with maximum security, while meeting the daily cash flow demands of the County. All county investments conform to all state and local statutes governing the investment of public funds. This investment policy applies to all financial assets in the County’s investment portfolio except debt proceeds. The county accounts for and invests debt proceeds separately from other funds. The County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) accounts for these funds.

Staff use the “prudent person” rule for investments. The “prudent person” concept discourages speculative transactions. It attaches primary significance to the preservation of capital and secondary importance to the generation of income and capital gains. Authorized staff, if acting in accordance with written procedures and state statutes and exercising due diligence, shall be relieved of personal responsibility for an individual security’s credit risk or market price changes, provided that these deviations are reported immediately and action is taken to control adverse developments.

The primary investment objectives, in priority order, are safety, liquidity and yield.

First, safety of principal is the foremost objective of the investment program. Investments seek to ensure the preservation of capital in the overall portfolio. To attain this objective, diversification is required so potential individual losses cannot exceed income generated from remaining investments. Second, the County’s investment portfolio will maintain sufficient liquidity to enable the County to meet all operating requirements by using structured maturities and marketable securities. Finally, the County’s investment portfolio will attain a market rate of return.

North Carolina General Statute 159-25(a) 6 delegates management responsibility for the investment program to the Finance Director. The Finance Director will establish and maintain written procedures for the operation of the investment program consistent with this policy. Such procedures will include explicit delegation of authority to persons responsible for investment transactions. No person may engage in an investment transaction except as provided under the terms of this policy and the procedures established by the Finance Director. The Finance Director will be responsible for all transactions undertaken and will establish a system of controls to regulate the activities of subordinates.

Officers and employees involved in the investment process will refrain from personal business activity that could conflict with proper execution of the investment program, or which could impair their ability to make impartial investment decisions. Employees and investment officials will disclose to the County Manager any material financial interests in financial institutions that conduct business within this jurisdiction and they will further disclose any large personal financial/investment positions related to the performance of the County’s portfolio. Employees and officers will subordinate their personal investment transactions to those of the County, particularly with regard to the time of purchase and sales.

The Finance Director will maintain a list of financial institutions authorized to provide investment services. The county selects authorized financial institutions based on credit worthiness. Financial institutions must also maintain a physical office in the State of North Carolina. These may include “primary” dealers or regional dealers that qualify under Securities & Exchange Commission Rule 15C3-1 (uniform net capital rule). The county deposits funds to a qualified public depository as required by state law.

All financial institutions and broker/dealers who desire to become qualified bidders for investment transactions must supply the Finance Director with the following: audited financial statements, proof of National Associations of Security Dealers Certifications, proof of state registrations and certification of having read the County’s investment policy. Staff will conduct a review of the financial condition and registrations of qualified bidders. The Finance Director may remove from the list financial institutions, brokers and/or dealers that fail to supply requested information.

The County is empowered by North Carolina G.S. 159-30(c) to invest in the following types of securities:

• Obligations of the United States or obligations fully guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United States.

• Obligations of the Federal Financing Bank, the Federal Farm Credit Bank, the Bank for Cooperatives, the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank, the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal Housing Administration, the Farmers Home Administration, the United States Postal Service.

• Obligations of the State of North Carolina Bonds and notes of any North Carolina local government or public authority.

• Fully collateralized certificates of deposit issued by any bank or savings and loan organized under the laws of the State of North Carolina.

• Prime quality commercial paper bearing the highest rating of at least one nationally recognized rating service and not bearing a rating below the highest by any nationally recognized rating service that rates the particular obligation.

• Bankers acceptances of a commercial bank or its holding company provided that the bank or its holding company is either:

o Incorporated in the State of North Carolina; or

o Has outstanding publicly held obligations bearing the highest rating of at least one nationally recognized rating service and not bearing a rating below the highest by any nationally recognized rating service that rates the particular obligations.

• Participating shares in a mutual fund for local government investment provided the investments of the fund are limited to those qualifying for investment under this subsection and the Local Government Commission certifies the fund.

• Evidences of ownership of, or fractional undivided interest in, future interest and principal payments on either direct obligations of the United States government or obligations the principal of and the interest on which are guaranteed by the United States, which obligations are held by a bank or trust company organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any state in the capacity of custodian.

• Repurchase agreements with respect to either obligations of the United States or obligations the principle of and the interest on are guaranteed by the United States. This applies if entered into with a broker or dealer, as defined by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which is a dealer recognized as a primary dealer by a Federal Reserve Bank, or any commercial bank, trust company or national banking association, the deposits of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any successor thereof.

The county conducts all transactions, including collateral for repurchase agreements, on a delivery-versus-payment basis. A contracted third party custodian designated by the Finance Director holds securities as evidenced by safekeeping receipts.

The County will diversify its investments by institution. With the exception of U.S. Treasury securities and agencies and authorized pools, no more than 35% of the County’s total investment portfolio will be invested with a single security type or with a single financial institution.

It is desirable to diversify by security type; however, if the yield is higher, more than 35% of the County’s total investment portfolio may be invested in the same security type.

To the extent possible, the County will attempt to match its investments with anticipated cash flow requirements. Beyond identified cash flow needs, investments will be purchased so that maturities are staggered to avoid undue concentration of assets in a single maturity range, however, the County will not directly invest in securities maturing more than five (5) years from the date of purchase. The County may collateralize its repurchase agreements using longer-dated investments not to exceed ten (10) years to maturity.

It is the County’s full intent, at the time of purchase, to hold all investments until maturity to ensure the return of all invested principal dollars. However, economic or market conditions may change, making it in the County’s best interest to sell or trade a security prior to maturity.

All moneys earned and collected from investments other than bond proceed earnings will be allocated quarterly to various fund amounts based on the quarter’s average cash balance in each fund as a percentage of the entire pooled portfolio. Earnings on bond proceeds will be directly allocated to the same proceeds.

The Finance Director is responsible for preparing a monthly investment inventory report, which includes investment types, cost, market value, maturity date and yield.

Contract Administration Policy

It is the policy of the county to maintain an efficient and uniform process for the administration of contracts. The contract process aligns with the county’s Procurement Policy. It is also the intent of the County to consolidate contracts where appropriate to reduce paper flow and administrative costs.

There are several general rules for contract administration:

• The Department Head, County Manager or Chairman of the Board of Commissioners must sign contracts according to the authority prescribed in the Procurement Policy.

• If a contract is in writing, staff must keep an original in the contract file (in the Contract Administrator’s Office).

• The Finance Director (or designee) must pre-audit and encumber all contracts requiring spending. G.S. 159-28 (a) states that if an obligation is evidenced by a contract or agreement requiring payment of money, the contract or agreement shall include on its face a certificate stating that the instrument has been pre-audited. The certificate, which shall be signed by the finance officer or any deputy finance officer approved for this purpose by the governing board, shall take substantially the following form:

“This instrument has been pre-audited in the manner required by the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act.”

G.S. 159-28 (a) also states that an obligation incurred in violation of this subsection is invalid and may not be enforced and the finance officer shall establish procedures to assure compliance with this subsection.

Although not all contracts obligate the County to make a payment of money, it is nevertheless important to have a system that organizes and catalogs all contracts involving the County. The administrative procedures and guidelines of this policy are not herein included, due to space limitations.

Personnel Management Policy

In 1994, the County Commissioners adopted Personnel Management programs to stabilize the compensation package for employees and to provide a more consistent process for budgeting. These programs included:

• Cost of Living Allowance: Effective at the first full pay period of each fiscal year, a cost of living allowance will be applied to salaries based upon the Consumer Price Index increase for the past calendar year, with the adjustment rounded down to the nearest ½ percent. The maximum increase shall be 1%.

• Market Comparison of Salaries: Market compensation and/or classification studies shall be conducted annually with each department on a three-year review cycle. The annual study will be performed by an outside consultant to maintain a pay scale consistent with like jobs in the local market including similar governmental entities. Recommendations will be presented to the Board of Commissioners prior to the budget and if approved will be effective with the new fiscal year. Additionally, the County Manager shall, when necessary, direct comparative studies of all factors affecting the level of salary.

• 401K Plan: A five percent 401K contribution for non-law enforcement employees will be granted, thus providing them the same benefit as mandated by the State for law enforcement employees.

• Longevity: The County grandfathered existing dollar amounts for employees who were receiving longevity to keep the County’s commitment to what was earned under the system the employee was hired under. Longevity programs were eliminated from March 21, 1994 forward.

• Merit Pay: The County funds merit pay for employees based on performance (per merit pay scale and performance scores).

• Employee Development Plan: Individualized plans of career development are prepared jointly by the supervisor and employee in conjunction with the employee’s performance evaluation each year.