1. Business-Type (Proprietary) Activities
Chapter 9
Business-Type (Proprietary) Activities
Chapter 9
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2. Thought to Ponder: Chapter 9
"Nobody wants a landfill site anywhere near them, including in rural areas. We've come to this realization that landfill is valuable and we can't bury things that don't need to be buried."
- JON D. JOHNSTON of the EPA,
who is helping to lead the zero-waste movement in the Southeast.
  NY TIMES-Oct. 20, 2009
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3. Learning Objectives
Why governments and NFPs engage in business-type activities
Distinguish between Proprietary and Governmental activities
Proprietary Fund Accounting
Two types of Proprietary Funds
Enterprise Funds
Internal Service Funds
Accounting for Insurance Activities
GASB 34, special problems of reporting proprietary funds in government-wide statements
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4. Proprietary Funds Reasons for use:
to account for governmental entity’s ongoing (continuing) operations and activities
Enhances management of activities in which goods or services are provided on a cost-reimbursement basis (i.e. on a user charge basis.)
To compare benefits and costs of the business-type activities of a government.
Facilitates comparisons with private enterprises
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5. Proprietary Funds Two types of Proprietary Funds A) Enterprise funds:
Provide services to the general public.
Example: City of Houston’s Airports (Bush, Hobby and Ellington Field), George R. Brown Convention Center, Combined Utility System (formerly called the water and sewer system), etc.
B) Internal service funds:
Provide services to other government departments.
Example: City of Houston Health Benefit and Long-term Disability funds.
Both of these services predominantly benefit governmental units rather than the general
public or businesses
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6. Proprietary Funds -Accounting Characteristics
GASB Statement No. 20, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Proprietary Funds and Other Governmental Entities That Use Proprietary Fund Accounting
Funds are said to be nonexpendable (or revolving)
focus on determining operating net income, changes in net assets (or cost recovery).
Full accrual basis
Measurement focus on all economic resources is consistent with GASB
Recognize revenues as earned and expenses as incurred.
Balance sheet recognition to both capital assets and long-term debt.
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7. Proprietary Funds Required Financial Statements
Similar to those for a for-profit entity:
Statement of Net Position Assets (or Balance Sheet):
Assets – Liabilities = Net (Assets) Position
Three categories of Net Assets
1) Net Investment in capital assets (net of related debt)
2) Restricted Net assets position
3) Unrestricted Net Assets position
Statement of Revenues, Expenses, and changes in Fund Net Assets Position:
Reconciles beginning and ending net assets
Statement of Cash Flows
Prepared in conformity with GASB standards rather than FASB standards
Include cash and cash equivalents (i.e., time deposits, marketable securities, and other items readily convertible to cash)
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8. Proprietary Funds - Accounting Equation
Assets - Liabilities = Net Position Assets
Recall this is the same classification of net assets that is required under GASB 34.
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1) Unrestricted
Assets
2) Restricted Assets
(e.g., for payment of
debt service)
3) Net Investment in Capital Assets, Net of Related Debt
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9. 2) Restricted Assets Definition: Assets whose use is restricted by
contractual agreements or legal requirements
Typical examples:
Customer deposits of utilities, assets set aside for repayment of revenue bond principal, reserves for maintenance of plant, and funding of depreciation
Ideally liabilities to be paid from restricted assets should be reported separately from liabilities to be paid from unrestricted assets.
Net Assets – Restricted, should be reported in the Equity section of the Statement of Net Position Assets.
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10. Statement of Cash Flows
Required for proprietary funds but not governmental funds
FASB (NFPs & publicly-traded companies)
vs.
GASB (Governmental entities):
FASB Statement No. 95 classifies cash transactions into:
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash flows from financing activities
Cash flows from investing activities
GASB Statement No. 9:
Cash flows from NON-CAPITAL financing activities
Cash flows from CAPITAL & RELATED financing activities
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GASB mandates that governments report their cash flows using direct method: explicitly reports the operating cash flows
Indirect method: reconciles operating cash flows to operating income.
FASB encourages business and non-profits to use direct method.

11. Chapter 9
A) Enterprise Funds
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12. Enterprise Funds Accounts for services: Possible reasons for use:
1) provided to the general public on a user charge basis OR
2) where the governing body has determined that periodic determination of revenues earned, expenses incurred, and/or net income is appropriate.
Possible reasons for use:
Capital maintenance, Public policy, Management control, Accountability
Examples: The City of Atlanta has two major and five non-major
enterprise funds. The City of New York has no enterprise funds, but
has a large number of specially created public benefit corporations.
On the other hand, High Point, North Carolina has six enterprise
funds, and City of San Francisco has eight enterprise funds (all
major).
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Enterprise Funds
Enterprise funds are established to account for City operations that are financed and operated in a manner similar to private business enterprises where the cost of providing goods or services to the general public is financed primarily through user charges.
Airport System — This fund is used to account for the operations of the City’s Airport System. The system is comprised of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport and Ellington Field.
Convention and Entertainment Facilities — This fund is used to account for the operation of the City’s four major entertainment centers and two City-owned parking garages. These centers include the following: Jesse H. Jones Hall; Bayou Place; Gus S. Wortham Center; George R. Brown Convention Center and the Tranquility Park and Theater District parking garages.
Combined Utility System — This fund is used to account for the production and transmission of water and the treatment of wastewater for City residents and businesses as well as for other governmental entities located in the Houston area.
Nonmajor Enterprise Funds – The Houston Area Water Corporation fund did not meet the established criteria for major fund status. The Houston Area Water Corporation was organized to provide water to the City of Houston for resale to customers located wholly or partially in Area Three of the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District.

13. Common Types of Enterprise Funds
Water and sewer (public utilities)
Gas and electric utilities
Mass Transportation systems
Airports (ex. Bush, Hobby, Ellington Field)
Ports
Toll roads and bridges (Sam Houston Toll way – Beltway 8, Harris County Toll Road)
Parking garages and lots (ex. Theater District parking garage)
Golf courses (Hermann Park)
Landfill facilities
Hospitals
Liquor stores
Lotteries
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14. Accounting for Enterprise Funds
GASB Statement No. 34 provides guidance on business-type activities.
MUST use enterprise funds if one of the following criteria is met:
1) Activity financed solely with revenue debt instead of governmental obligation debt.
2) Costs of providing services recovered by fees and charges
3) Pricing policy are designed to recover costs from fees and charges
Previously, GASB standards allowed proprietary funds two options:
1) Follow pronouncements of the FASB and its predecessors issued before November 30, 1989, unless they conflict with a GASB standard*
2) Follow all FASB and predecessor standards, both those issued before and after November 30, 1989, unless they conflict with a GASB standard *
* Note that GASB standards always take priority
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15. Enterprise Funds Utility Plant - Construction in Progress
Q: Should an imputed amount equivalent to interest be capitalized if a utility’s own funds are used for construction?
A: Capitalizing an “equity” component of Allowance for Funds Used During Construction (AFUDC) is permitted both by utility regulators and the FASB.
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16. Municipal Solid Waste Landfills (MSWLFs)
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17. Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
Accounted for either in governmental or enterprise funds
If usage fees are charged then accounted for in enterprise funds.
Fees must cover ALL costs (i.e. costs incurred before, during, and after landfill accepts waste)
Closure & Post-closure costs include:
Equipment installed and facilities constructed after the landfill stops accepting waste (e.g. gas monitoring systems, ground water monitoring wells.)
Final Cover
Monitoring & Maintenance
If accounted for in ENTERPRISE FUND:
Governments must report (but need not actually fund) both:
Expense &
Liability related to Closure & Post-Closure costs.
If accounted for in GOVERNMENTAL FUND:
Liability/Expense of post closure costs reported only in government-wide statements.
No expenditure shown in Fund Statements
--“Pay-as-you-go” basis
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18. Municipal Solid Waste Landfills (Cont’d)
An EPA rule requires all municipal landfills to meet stringent location, design, and operating requirements to minimize the potential for environmental damage.
Operators must also provide financial assurance they can properly close landfills when full and provide post-closure ground water monitoring for 30 years after closure.
These stringent rules are designed to protect the environment from irresponsible handling of hazardous materials
Owners must estimate the current cost of hiring a qualified third-party to close the MSWLF and care for it for 30 years after closure
Current Year Liability/Expense =
(Estimated total cost x Landfill capacity)
________________________________ Amount recognized in the past
Total Landfill Capacity
Annual adjustments are made as estimates change from year to year.
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19. POLLUTION REMEDIATION COSTS
Government can be held accountable for pollution cleanup costs owing to a variety of circumstances. For example:
A school district discovered mold or asbestos in one of its buildings
Toxic substances from an abandoned county dump seeped into a nearby water supply
As with landfill costs, pollution remediation costs may be accounted for in either governmental or enterprise funds.
Governmental funds: only current outlays would be recognized as expenditures; no long-term liabilities would be recorded.
Enterprise funds as well as government-wide stmts: estimates of costs to be incurred in the future would be reported as both expenses and offsetting liabilities.
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20. POLLUTION REMEDIATION COSTS (Cont’d)
Per GASB Statement No. 49 Accounting and Financial Reporting for Pollution Remediation Obligations (November 2006), the pollution remediation costs to be accounted for include those for:
Pre-cleanup activities such as site assessments, site investigations,
Cleanup activities such as removal and disposal of pollutants
Government oversight and enforcement-related activities
Post-remediation monitoring
These costs should be estimated and recognized as an expense and liability when the government knows or has reason to believe that a site is polluted, that it will be responsible for the cleanup, and it can make reasonable estimates of the ultimate cost.
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21. Miscellaneous Enterprise Fund Information
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Regulatory Accounting Practice (RAP)
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22. Enterprise Funds Regulatory Accounting Principles (RAP)
FASB Statement No. 71 Accounting for the Effects of Certain Types of Regulation issued in 1982, stipulated that revenues, expenses and resources should be recognized in accordance with the rules established by a regulator. What is rate of return regulation? Why is rate of return regulation necessary? What types of entities are subject to rate of return regulation? What do the rates that I see on my electric utility bill mean? How is the revenue requirement established? What happens after the revenue requirement is established?
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23. Enterprise Funds Regulatory Accounting Principles (RAP)
FASB Statement No. 71 Accounting for the Effects of Certain Types of Regulation issued in 1982, stipulated that revenues, expenses and resources should be recognized in accordance with the rules established by a regulator.
Key RAP definitions
Original cost: The (depreciated) cost to the first owner to place the utility plant into public use
Utility Plant Acquisition Adjustment: The difference between the purchase price of a utility plant less the net original cost of the plant on the seller’s books.
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24. Enterprise Funds Special Current Liabilities
In addition to the usual Accounts Payable and Accrued
Expenses, use two special current liability accounts:
1) Customers Advances for Construction
Usually up-front deposits required to be made by builders to provide all or part of the cost of connecting new structures to utility lines. May or may not be refunded in part upon completion
2) Customer Deposits
Usually reported under the caption “Liabilities Payable from Restricted Assets”
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25. Enterprise Funds Segment Information
When there are multiple enterprise funds
Summary operating data, including extent of intra- governmental subsidies, should be disclosed in the notes for "major non-homogeneous enterprise funds."
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26. B) Internal Service Funds
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27. Internal Service Funds
Internal Service funds are an accounting device used to accumulate and allocate costs internally among the governmental entity’s various departments/units/functions.
Account for activities:
that provide goods or services to other funds, departments, or agencies within the same governmental unit or occasionally to other governmental units on a user-charge or cost-reimbursement basis
Primary reason for use: to gain efficiency in the government’s operations.
Examples: The City of Houston has two internal service funds; San Francisco has four internal service funds (central shops fund, finance, corporation reproduction fund, telecommunications and information fund) whereas the City of New York has no internal service funds.
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Enterprise Funds
Enterprise funds are established to account for City operations that are financed and operated in a manner similar to private business enterprises where the cost of providing goods or services to the general public is financed primarily through user charges.
Airport System — This fund is used to account for the operations of the City’s Airport System. The system is comprised of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport and Ellington Field.
Convention and Entertainment Facilities — This fund is used to account for the operation of the City’s four major entertainment centers and two City-owned parking garages. These centers include the following: Jesse H. Jones Hall; Bayou Place; Gus S. Wortham Center; George R. Brown Convention Center and the Tranquility Park and Theater District parking garages.
Combined Utility System — This fund is used to account for the production and transmission of water and the treatment of wastewater for City residents and businesses as well as for other governmental entities located in the Houston area.
Nonmajor Enterprise Funds – The Houston Area Water Corporation fund did not meet the established criteria for major fund status. The Houston Area Water Corporation was organized to provide water to the City of Houston for resale to customers located wholly or partially in Area Three of the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District.

28. Common Types of Internal Service Funds
Central purchasing
Storage
Issuance of supplies
Self-insurance pools
Central data processing
Electronic Equipment maintenance
Printing
Transportation (ex. Motor pools)
Central Post office
Central Telephone exchange
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29. Accounting for Internal Service Funds
are accounting entities
are authorized by legislative approval
rarely have its resources restricted
Must follow all FASB pronouncements issued prior to Nov. 30th 1989 unless it conflicts with GASB pronouncement (like enterprise fund).
The GFOA recommends that every state or local government establish clear criteria for whether an internal fund is classified as a fund in the CAFR.
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30. Accounting for Internal Service Funds (cont’d)
Full Accrual Basis
Revenues derived mainly from other governmental or proprietary funds.
“Billings to Departments” is the revenue account that is similar to “Sales” of a for-profit.
Capital assets acquired by contributions or grants must be depreciated.
Revenues & expenses are closed at year-end to “Excess of Net Billings to Departments over Costs” (or “Excess of Costs over Net Billings to Departments”) rather than to Income Summary
Since the only “customer” of the internal service fund is the government itself, the activity is presented in fund financial statements, but eliminated for external facing reporting.
The major fund requirements do not apply to internal service funds because their balances are eliminated in the government-wide financial statements
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31. Pricing Policies for Internal Service Funds
Pricing is set by local management or by legislative policy
Pricing objectives vary
Can cover full costs (direct and indirect), direct costs only, or whatever management desires.
Full cost prices do not reflect cost of providing incremental amounts of goods or services.
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32. Self Insurance
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33. Self-Insurance Some governments elect to self-insure their risks.
Reduces premiums
Self insurance = NO INSURANCE (no transfer of risks to outsider.)
It simply sets aside funds to provide for possible losses based on an actuarially determined amount.
Often a govt. that self-insures part (or all) of its risk also centralizes its risk financing activities
Either use the GF or the ISF to account for these activities
Example: City of Juneau, Alaska has a self-insurance fund to account for the cost of administering the City and Borough’s Risk Management Program.
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34. Self-Insurance (Cont’d)
GASB-mandated use of an ISF
GASB standards require that an ISF be used for risk management (self-insurance) pools of a government:
--The ISF should recognize claims expense and a related liability when:
1) It is probable an asset has been impaired, a liability incurred, or a claim will be asserted AND
2) Loss is estimable
Disclose other loss contingencies in the notes.
Insurance department acts as an independent insurance company.
Premium Payments by government to ISF:
Only a portion is reported as expenditure by the government (and revenue by the ISF).
Excess is a nonreciprocal transfer.
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35. PROBLEMS with ISFs Duplicate reported expenses when closing books
costs and revenues are reported twice within the same set of financial statements.
Depreciation is transferred to other governmental funds
Detract from Objectivity of Financial Statements
Obscure Fund Balance Surpluses or Deficits
surpluses/deficits can be transferred from general fund to the internal service fund.
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36. Terminating an Internal Service Fund
Transfer ISF's assets to another fund which will continue same activity
Terminate activity and distribute assets in- kind to another fund or funds
Convert ISF's assets to cash and distribute cash to another fund or funds
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37. Service Concession Arrangements (SCA)
GAAP is GASB Statement No. 60, “Accounting and Financial Reporting for Service Concession Arrangements.”
SCA are long-term arrangements in which a government contracts with a private sector entity or another government to operate a major capital asset for example: toll roads, hospitals, student housing, airports, telecommunication networks etc.
The government transfers to the contracted party the right and related obligation to provide services through the use of infrastructure or other public asset.
In exchange the government receives from the other party an up-front payment or a series of payments over time.
GASB standards dictate that government spread any gains from the transfer of the assets over the term of the contract.
Governments enter into these agreements because they provide quick and easy source of cash. In essence these agreements are the economic equivalent of borrowing transactions.
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38. Revenue Bonds
Revenue Bonds are backed by specific revenue streams such as dedicated taxes or user charges.
Business-type activities of governments are often supported by revenue bonds
Revenue Bonds are also issued by not-for-profit entities including healthcare organizations, universities and museums.
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39. Business-type Activities vs. Component Units?
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40. Component Units (CU)
The main reason for discussing CU in Ch. 9 is that some cities will carry out these activities as CU and some will do it as part of EFs. The main difference is the legal structure. CU are separate legal entities.
Entities that are economically intertwined with the government albeit legally separate
Criteria to determine whether a primary government (PG) is financially accountable for another government.
(1) PG appoints a voting majority of unit’s governing body
(2) A majority of unit’s governing body is composed of PG’s officials
(3) The PG is able to “impose its will” upon the unit
(4) Unit can cause the PG financial benefits or burdens
If it meets these criterion, then unit is a CU of PG.
Two Presentations of CU
(1) Blended – CU consolidated with PG in government-wide statements
--Presented this way if CU “provides services exclusively or almost exclusively for the city” (examples in City of Houston CAFR)
(2) Discrete – CU shown in a separate column in government-wide statements
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41. Business –Type Activities Summary
Proprietary funds (internal service and enterprise) are used to account for the business-type activities of a government
Accrual accounting is used for proprietary funds and the required financial statements are the same as those for a for-profit entity, except that GASB standards must be used where they apply
ISF are reported as governmental activities on the government-wide statements
Regulatory accounting terminology and principles are used by some government owned utilities
Service Concession Arrangements are long-term arrangements in which a government contracts with a private sector entity or another government to operate a major capital asset.
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