Popular Annual Financial Report

Residents appreciate not having to bag their leaves in the fall. Leaf collection is one of the services supported by income taxes.

2010 Popular Annual Financial Report Gives Summary of Comprehensive Data

City Council’s history of sound financial planning has placed the City of Mason in a good position to continue to be an attractive location for families and businesses for years to come.

Each year, the City of Mason prepares a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. This detailed report is over 150 pages long and presents a complete financial picture of the city.

While this report is significant to the government and financial community, many residents do not have the time to study it in its entirety. As a result, the Government Finance Officers’ Association encourages governments to produce a Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) that is a quick summary of information in the detailed report. The data included in the Popular Annual Financial Report below provides a summary of the city’s governmental activities for the year ended December 31, 2010.

Where the money comes from . . .

The City of Mason receives the funding it needs to provide services to the community from a variety of sources. The table below presents a summary of the city’s revenues by primary type for 2010 and 2009. Even though revenue was up 2% due to one-time capital grants for road improvements, operating revenue was down due to the economy and tax reductions. However, Mason continues to be a community with stable revenue sources for providing services to the community.

REVENUES (millions)	2010	2009
Taxes	$25.9	$28.0
Fines, Licenses, and Permits	2.2	2.0
Charges for Services	2.0	2.2
Investment Earnings	0.2	0.2
Intergovernmental	7.8	5.7
Other Revenue	2.0	1.4
TOTAL REVENUES	$40.1	$39.5

2010 Governmental Fund Revenue by Source

The pie chart at right depict the significance each source of revenue has to the city’s overall financial health. Taxes are the largest sources of revenue for the governmental funds. For 2010, the second largest source of revenue was intergovernmental funds that are from the State of Ohio.

2010 Tax Revenue by Source

The pie chart at left shows the breakdown of the tax revenue. 70% of the total tax revenue comes from the city’s 1% income tax. The second largest source of tax revenue is the 5-mill property tax levy for fire and emergency services. The 16% attributed to other property taxes is from multiple smaller property tax sources.

Where the money goes. . .

The two-year comparison below for the city’s governmental expenditures shows a 7% decrease in operating expenditures ($27.4 million for 2009 compared to $25.5 million for 2010). Despite reduced operating expenditures, the City of Mason was able to continue its investment in capital improvements to improve the city’s transportation system, parks, and assets that benefit its residents and businesses.

EXPENDITURES (millions)	2010	2009
Public Safety	$11.1	$11.3
General Government	7.7	8.5
Transportation and Streets	2.7	3.2
Leisure Time Activities	1.8	2.4
Community Development	2.0	1.8
Utility Service	0.2	0.2
Operating Expenditures	25.5	27.4
Capital Outlay	9.3	7.3
Debt Service	2.8	4.1
TOTAL EXPENDITURES	$37.6	$38.8

Expenditure Type Definitions

2010 Expenditures by Type

Public Safety – Police, Fire, EMS, Disaster Services, and Street Lights
General Government – functions serving the entire city including City Council, Administration, Finance, Tax Collection, Court, and Engineering
Transportation and Streets – Public Works activities to clean, repair, and maintain public streets, traffic signals, traffic signs, and right-of-way
Leisure Time Activities – Parks, Park Maintenance, Recreational Programs, and Lou Eves Municipal Pool
Community Development – Community Planning, Building Inspections, and Economic Development
Utility Service – Expenditures for city utilities paid by governmental funds
Capital Outlay – Investment for the city’s capital improvements such as road improvements and equipment replacement
Debt Service– Payment of debt principal, interest, and other financing costs

Capital Projects

The following are major capital projects completed in 2010 that are included in the 2010 capital investment. (Some of the costs of completed projects were paid in 2008 and 200

Community Center Expansion - $19.5 million
Mason Road Widening - $4 million
Fire Station 51 Relocation - $3.5 million
Mason Road Roundabout - $0.8 million
First Avenue/South Forest Street Storm Sewer - $0.8 million
Sports Park Irrigation Effluent System - $0.8 million
U.S. 42 Trunk Sewer Phase III - $0.6 million
U.S. 42/Tylersville Road Intersection Improvements - $0.4 million
Parkside Sewer Lift Station Elimination - $0.3 million

More Information

This quick review of the sources of revenue and the city’s expenditures of governmental funds belies the thoughtful planning by City Council and staff as they plan each year’s budget. Click here for links to the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and the 2011 Budget, both of which include revenues and expenditures for other funds as well as governmental funds.