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Finance director briefs College Place council on budgeting and cash-basis accounting
Summary
Finance Director Brian Carlton presented 'Government Finance 101' to the council, explaining College Place's cash-basis accounting, its 33 fund structure, reserve targets (e.g., 17% current-expense fund target), reporting cadence and the upcoming audit and budget calendar.
Finance Director Brian Carlton gave a concise "Government Finance 101" presentation to the City of College Place council on Feb. 24, explaining how the city records transactions and how budgets and reserves are managed.
Carlton said the city operates on a cash-basis accounting system: "Cash basis is what the City of College Place operates under," meaning revenues and expenditures are recorded when cash is received or dispersed rather than on an accrual basis. He noted the city therefore does not produce the same government-wide accrual statements (for example, there is no depreciation recorded under cash accounting).
Carlton walked council through the city's fund structure, saying College Place currently reports 33 funds across governmental, proprietary (utilities, ambulance), capital and fiduciary funds and described how specific reserve targets are set by policy. He cited examples: a current-expense fund fund-balance target of 17% of prior-year budgeted revenues and a facilities capital reserve target near $300,000.
He described the state-required BARs (budgeting, accounting and reporting system) and outlined the city budget calendar: preparations begin in March with multiple council presentations and final adoption typically occurring in December. Carlton acknowledged the finance team is behind on monthly reporting (May 2025 reports are delayed) because of staff reductions and absences but said the city monitors bank balances closely and expects to catch up.
Council members asked how mid-year forecasts and budget-to-actual comparisons are shared; Carlton said forecasts are typically produced after June results and brought to council, and staff are working to refine reporting after migrating to the Tyler financial system in 2023. He also said the audit will likely begin in August and finish over several months.
The presentation provided council with context for upcoming budget-cycle decisions and next steps to improve reporting and forecasting. For more detailed figures, Carlton indicated the monthly financial packet and upcoming budget presentations will contain the supporting schedules and fund-specific details.
