18-3019 Accepting CAFR for FY Ending in 2017

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THE CITY The City of Casselberry is located in Central Florida and is part of the greater Orlando metropolitan area. The area has consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. The City is primarily a retail, office, and residential area with a small amount of light industrial. Like all other cities in Seminole County, the City operates according to a Commission/Manager form of government. There are five elected City Commissioners, one of whom also serves as Mayor and Commission Chairman, and a professional, appointed City Manager. The City of Casselberry is one of seven municipal governments within Seminole County. The City provides a full range of services to its 28,548 citizens. Included in these services are traditional city functions such as police, sanitation, road maintenance, water, reclaimed water and wastewater operations, parks, recreation, planning, economic and community development, as well as support activities for city governmental programs. In terms of its physical development, the City of Casselberry is a mature and a relatively densely developed city of seven square miles. The City's infrastructure serves a stable population and requires expenditures primarily for maintenance and modernization of facilities rather than rapid growth. The City's policy is to keep its infrastructure safe and functional, and gradually improve services, while containing and limiting the financial burden to its residents. ACCOUNTING SYSTEM, INTERNAL ACCOUNTING CONTROLS, AND BUDGETARY CONTROL The City's accounting records for General, Special Revenue, Debt Service, and Capital Projects Funds are maintained on a modified accrual basis. Revenues are recognized when they become measurable and available, while expenditures are recorded at the time the related fund liabilities are incurred. Accounting records for Enterprise and Pension Trust Funds are maintained on a full accrual basis. In designing and developing the City's accounting system, consideration is given to the adequacy of internal accounting controls. Internal accounting controls are designed to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance regarding: 1. The safeguarding of assets against loss from unauthorized use or disposition; and 2. The reliability of financial records for preparing financial statements and maintaining accountability for assets. The concept of reasonable assurance recognizes that: 1. The cost of a control should not exceed the benefits likely to be derived; and 2. The evaluation of cost and benefits requires estimates and judgments by management. All internal control evaluations occur within the above framework. We believe that the City's internal accounting controls adequately safeguard assets. Budgetary control, in conformance with the City Charter and Florida Statutes, is maintained through constant review by the Finance Director. Budgetary responsibility for the General, Special Revenue, Debt Service, Capital Projects and Enterprise Funds is established at the fund level. Detailed monthly revenue and expenditure/expense reports are prepared for each department. THE REPORTING ENTITY AND ITS SERVICES The funds and entities related to the City of Casselberry that are included in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report are controlled by or dependent on the City. Determination of "controlled by or dependent on" is based on criteria and disclosure requirements of Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement Number 61 The Financial Reporting Entity. The criteria deal with the selection of governing authority, designation of management, and ability to significantly influence operations and accountability for fiscal matters. Based on these criteria, the various funds shown in the Table of Contents are included in