Local Government Publications

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide guidance related to the accounting for moneys received by County governments from the Compassionate Care Act. These revenues are derived from an excise tax on the gross receipts from the sale of medical marihuana.

This bulletin provides updated information on the accounting for aid received from the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), superseding an earlier bulletin issued by the Office of the State Comptroller for local governments in New York State. This bulletin incorporates threshold changes and updated account codes used for reporting. All previous guidance has been incorporated into this bulletin.
Updated December 2015 (Originally Issued October 1991)

This bulletin provides updated information on the accounting for loans received pursuant to the NYS Emergency Services Revolving Loan Account. It incorporates changes in the law and updated account codes used for reporting. All previous guidance has been incorporated into this bulletin.
Updated December 2015 (Originally Issued June 2015)

This bulletin provides updated information on the accounting for installment purchase contracts, superseding an earlier bulletin issued by the Office of the State Comptroller for local governments in New York State. All previous guidance has been incorporated into this bulletin.
Updated December 2015 (Originally Issued January 1991)

This bulletin provides updated information on pension accounting and reporting, superseding earlier bulletins issued by the Office of the State Comptroller for local government employers in New York State. All applicable previous guidance has been incorporated into this bulletin, as well as corrections to past instructions for expenditure and liability recognition of pension costs in governmental funds.
Updated May 2015 (Originally Issued September 2011)

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide guidance related to the accounting for Medicaid reimbursements paid by the Department of Health (DOH) and the resulting State Aid Deduction for those Medicaid reimbursements based upon a change in the Medicaid reimbursement methodology.

An accounting code has been established in the Comptroller’s Uniform System of Accounts for recording revenues relating to reorganization and efficiency grants.

The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law on March 23, 2010. As a result, the eligibility requirements for Medicaid have expanded and New York State (State) will now see an increased enrollment in the program as of January 2014. To assist with the additional costs associated with the increased coverage, the Federal government is providing additional Medicaid relief funding. This funding is anticipated to start in January 2014.

This bulletin provides information on the reporting requirements of deferred inflows of resources and deferred outflows of resources as required by Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 63, Financial Reporting of Deferred Outflows of Resources, Deferred Inflows of Resources, and Net Position (Statement 63), and GASB Statement No. 65, Items Previously Reported as Assets and Liabilities (Statement 65).

Local governments are more often receiving significant premiums upon the issuance of Tax Anticipation Notes (TANs) and Revenue Anticipation Notes (RANs) and accounting treatment has not always been consistent. This bulletin clarifies the prescribed accounting treatment of TAN and RAN premiums and the restrictions on the use of these premiums.

The temporary unlimited insurance coverage for noninterest-bearing transaction accounts provided under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act expired on December 31, 2012. Therefore, after December 31, 2012, deposits held in noninterest-bearing transaction accounts are aggregated with other demand accounts (e.g., “traditional” noninterest-bearing checking accounts) and will be insured by the FDIC only up to the $250,000 limit per custodian per insured bank. Deposits that exceed the $250,000 FDIC coverage must be secured in accordance with statutory requirements.

Chapter 128 of the Laws of 2012 amended sections 10 and 11 of the General Municipal Law (GML) to authorize local governments to use “reciprocal deposit” programs for their deposits and investments. The purpose of the amendment is to provide an additional option to local governments for obtaining coverage from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to secure their public deposits and investments.

This bulletin provides updated information on the definition of the financial reporting entity, superseding an earlier bulletin on this topic issued by the Office of the State Comptroller for local governments in New York State. All applicable previous guidance has been incorporated into this bulletin.
Updated October 2012 (Originally Issued July 2012)

Deficiency notes may be issued during a fiscal year to finance a deficiency in any fund or funds arising from revenues being less than the amount estimated in the budget for that fiscal year. The deficiency notes may not exceed five percent of the amount of that same year’s annual budget.

Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2011 amended Article 23 of the Tax Law to, among other things, exempt public schools and BOCES in the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD)1 from the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax, effective April 1, 2012. In addition, the payroll threshold and payroll tax rates have been adjusted for all other local government employers within the MCTD.

Chapter 97 of the Laws of 2011 established a property tax levy limit (generally referred to as the tax cap) that restricts the amount of property taxes local governments (including counties, cities, towns, villages, fire districts, and special districts) and school districts can levy. Under this legislation, the property tax levy for affected local governments and school districts cannot increase more than 2 percent, or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower, with some exceptions. Local governments and school districts are permitted to override the levy limit if certain actions are taken. The law is effective for fiscal years that begin in 2012.
Updated January 2012 (Originally Issued December 2011)

The purpose of this bulletin is to explain the new GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) reporting requirements for fund balance and special revenue funds, and the effects these reporting requirements will have on the Annual Update Document (AUD) filed by municipalities and the ST-3 filed by school districts.
Updated April 2011 (Originally Issued November 2010)

Effective August 13, 2010, Chapter 386 of the Laws of New York amended Section 63.00 of the Local Finance Law to increase the cap on bonds issued through private sales from $1 million to $5 million (this provision sunsets on June 1, 2012, at which time the cap will revert to $1 million absent action by the State Legislature).

Account codes have been established to record revenues received from natural gas lease and royalty payments and wind farm revenues received from host community fees and payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs).

The brochure outlines additional opportunities, for Schools and BOCES, beyond the traditional financial transaction cycles (and requirements of the Five Point Plan) that could be gained from utilizing the internal audit function to its fullest extent.