HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Minutes - March 9, 2026MEN
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Special City Council Minutes — March 9, 2026
Mayor Jerry Merrill
Council Members:
Bryanna Johnson David Reeser
Colin Erickson Bill Biggins
Eric Erickson Alisha ll'etjen
(208) 359-3020
35 North V East
Rexburg, ID 83440
Rexburg.org I Engage.Rexburg.org
(Sty staff:
Spencer Rammell — City Attorney
Matt Nielson — Finance officer
Keith Davidson — Public Works Director
Alan Parkinson — Planning & Zoning Administrator
Scott Johnson — Economic Development Director
Deborah Lovejoy — City Clerk
12:00 P.M. City Hall Front Conference Room - Roll Call of City Council Members
Review Audit for Fiscal Year 2025 — Matt Nielson and Rudd and Company
Attending: Mayor Merrill, Council Member Riggins Council Member C. Erickson and
Council Member Tietjen
City Staff: Finance Officer Nielson, City Clerk Lovejoy and Deputy Clerk Gonzalez.
Audience Members: Auditing professor for BYU-Idaho University, Kevin Kimball, Teresa Flanary
auditor with Rudd and Co., Colton Sezlak, a BYU—Idaho student, Justin Marquart, who is also a BYU—
Idaho student.
Finance Officer Nielson explained that Rudd and Company serves as the city's auditor. He stated
that Teresa Flanary is the lead auditor, and that a team of about four or five auditors work on the city's
audit. On the city side Finance Controller Scott Miller and he are the primary individuals working on
the audit.
Finance Officer Nielson further explained that the fiscal year ended in September, and internally
the city began working on the audit in October. The auditors came on -site at the beginning of January.
He mentioned that there are a few changes related to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board
(GASB) rules. Many of the changes involved SBITAs, which relate to leases and similar agreements, and
those would be discussed later. Another change affecting the city's accrued absences, which required
adjusting the way those accruals are calculated. He noted that they would show that change later.
He also explained that another major change would occur the following year, when the MD&A section
would have to be updated due to new standards. Although he could have chosen to implement the
changes that year, he decided not to because he did not want the city to be the first to test the new
format. He mentioned that he plans to attend training with GFOA, and he expected those trainings to
cover the changes in detail, so it made sense to wait.
Finance Officer Nielson said Mrs. Flanary will cover the first three sections of the audit report, after
which he will discuss the MD&A section.
Mrs. Flanary explained that three parts of the report belonged to the auditors, while the rest of the
report belonged to the city. The first section, which covers pages one through three, is the auditor's
report on the financial statements. She noted that the city has historically kept up well with accounting
standards. The finance team regularly attended training and proactively worked to ensure the financial
statements complied with required standards. She also mentioned that the team frequently contacted
the auditors with questions when they were uncertain, which she described as both unusual and very
positive. From a financial perspective, she stated that there were no material issues with the financial
statements, and the auditors believed that the statements were presented appropriately according to the
required standards.
Finance Officer Nielson moved into the MD&A section. He explained that they will not review every
page, because doing so would take too long. Instead, he highlighted some key financial points that he
believes are important. Mrs. Flanary clarified that the document being reviewed is a draft; however, it is
not marked as a draft due to computer issues earlier that day. Some page numbers still need to be
verified, and there could be minor formatting issues that will be corrected later. She emphasized that
these issues were related only to computers and not to the accuracy of the report.
Finance Officer Nielson explained that the city's assets and deferred outflows exceeded its liabilities
and deferred inflows by approximately $191 million at the end of the fiscal year. Of that amount, about
$4.8 million was classified as an unrestricted net position, while about $38 million consisted of
restricted assets, which were funds available to meet ongoing obligations. He also stated that the city's
net position increased by about $16 million during the year. When reviewing the financial statements,
the finances are divided into governmental activities and business -type activities. Governmental
activities increased by about $7.3 million, while business -type activities increased by about $8.7
million. He then discussed fund balances. Governmental funds referred to non -utility funds, while
business -type funds included utilities such as water, sewer, and sanitation. The governmental fund
balances totaled about $25.7 million, which represented a slight increase of about $1.3 million
compared to the prior year.
Finance Officer Nielson explained that the item the City Council should probably care about the
most is the general fund balance. He stated that the balance is approximately $5.7 million. He noted
that it had dropped slightly and that the reserve level was now about 29%. He reminded everyone that 7
the city's policy is to keep the reserve between 25% and 33%. He also explained that projections for
fiscal year 2026 showed that the reserve could decrease further, and the finance team is aware of that
situation. He said he has informed the City Council for some time that the city will need to tighten
spending, especially regarding capital projects. He added that if a recession occurs, the city will likely
need to significantly reduce operational expenses as well.
Finance Officer Nielson explained that over the last few years, forecasts for general revenues,
particularly sales tax revenue, have remained relatively flat. Since sales tax had the largest impact on
the general fund budget, this trend is concerning. Based on conversations happening at the state level,
he expected that sales tax revenue might even decline this year. He also pointed out that one of the
biggest challenges the city is facing is keeping up with inflation, especially in construction projects,
where costs have risen significantly over the past five years. The city has been seeing those increases on
nearly all its projects. From an operational standpoint, he noted that the city had experienced an
average cost -of -living increase of about 2.8% over the last ten years. He recalled that the COLA for the
upcoming year is around 2.7%, which provided some context for how costs continued to rise over time.
He explained that many people believed property taxes were the solution, but property tax increases did
not even keep up with inflationary costs. Because of that, relying on property taxes alone would likely
lead to ongoing operational deficits.
Finance Officer Nielson said that $1.3 million of the general fund balance had to be used as
carryover to balance the fiscal year 2026 budget. He emphasized that this is an important point to
consider, as it is the largest amount he has ever needed to use to balance the budget. Typically, the city
tried to keep that amount under $1 million.
Finance Officer Nielson noted that he would not go through every detailed explanation of the 7
financial statements. Instead, he briefly explained that some statements are prepared on a cash basis,
while others used an accrual basis, meaning transactions were recorded when they became due or
payable rather than when the cash is received or paid. He said they will discuss those concepts later.
When reviewing the net position section, Finance Officer Nielson realized that one of the numbers
shown was from the previous year and would need to be updated. He explained that the prior period
adjustment would be removed, but the updated figures still reflected a net position of about $191
million, which he mentioned earlier.
Finance Officer Nielson moved on to discuss large capital projects, which were summarized on page
six of the report. He explained that the city did not complete many street projects the previous year,
which he mentioned in earlier City Council meetings. However, the city expected to complete many
street projects during the current year. He added that the timing of construction has been unusual,
because many streets were built in late fall the previous year.
Finance Officer Nielson reported that contributed assets had been very large the previous year,
particularly from street infrastructure as well as water and wastewater systems. The contributed assets
mostly came from new developments. Developers installed infrastructure such as streets, water lines,
and sewer systems, and then transferred that infrastructure to the city. Once the city received it, it
became an asset on the city's books. He acknowledged that it eventually created a liability in the future,
since the city would ultimately be responsible for maintaining and replacing it.
Finance Officer Nielson pointed out several of the major projects from the year. One of the largest n
was the new sewer line designed to serve the Teton, Rexburg, and Sugar areas. The city had also
purchased land for a future police facility, which has become a topic of discussion. The city paid about
$1.3 million for the land, but an appraisal valued the property at $1.5 million. Because of that
difference, the city recorded $200,00o as contributed assets, reflecting the value that had effectively
been contributed beyond the purchase price. He also noted that the city has been working on upgrades
to the wastewater headworks, where a major project has begun. He explained that this project would
likely continue for several years. In addition, the sanitation shop project has finally been completed. He
said he would not go through every project listed but noted that the report reflected the early stages of
several large capital projects.
Lurke Capita Item ERpi used(aver $100,000) included:
CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL FROM DEVELOPERS TO STREET
8 4.359,330
SEWER LINE REPLACEMENI'/UPSI!-FJNEW LIPTSTATION-TET(
2318,997
IAND-POLICE ST'ATION(8200,000 CONTRIBUTED ASSET)
1,501,358
PLANT UPGRADE-HEADWORKS
1,393,009
NEW SANITATION SHOP PH Il
1,078,726
WATER RIGHTS PURCHASE.
715,912
NEW CAMEL TRUCK-W W COLLECTIONS
573.960
LID IMPROVEMENTS-W W COLLECTIONS
560,213
NEW GRADER -STREETS
466,716
CONSTRUCTION COSTS -LID SVPEET PROJECTS
394,125
son
NEW STREET SWEEPER -STREETS
3BZ680
SEAL COAT/CHIP OR SLURRY SEAL STREETS
366,994
CHANGE TO RADIO READS IN WATER DEPT
340,198
WASTEWATER LINE REPLACEMENTPROJECIS
338,570
FIBER INITIATIVE CONSTRUCTION FINAL
327.291
FIBER SURVEILANCE/ACCESS CONTROL
274,318
LID IMPROVEMENTS -WATER
223,964
57H W RIVER CROSSING PROJECTIDESIGN/FEASABILITY
189,415
NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT TREJO/YELLOWSTONE-PH II
147.735
9111 E BR1DUEUROAD DESIGN
144.444
ICE RINK INITIAL CONSTRUCTION FEES/IMPROVEMENTS
141,922
I+JON LAKES CLUBHOUSE REMODEL
137.657
TELEHANDLER STREETS
136,674
NEW PUMP AND MOTOR WELL p5
108,129
RUGGED COMM TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYNC SOFTWARFJEIC
101,357
NORSEMAN AIRPLANE PURCHASE -FLIGHT MUSEUM
I001000
USED CAMEL TRUCK PURCHASE SHARED COST -WATER
100,000
Also see Note 83 on Pull. 41 to 42.
Finance Officer Nielson moved to page seven, which provided a more detailed comparison of
financial activity. The table compared governmental activities for the previous year and the current
year, as well as business -type activities for those same periods. Another column combined both
categories into "all activities." On the right side, the report showed whether the changes were favorable
or unfavorable, with unfavorable amounts shown in parentheses, along with the percentage change. He
noted that current assets had increased by about 4%, though he did not review every item in detail. He
pointed out that liabilities had increased by about 26%, but he explained that this increase was not
owe concerning, since many of those liabilities were simply obligations that would be paid shortly after the
start of the new fiscal year. He also highlighted that capital assets had increased by about 12%, and the
notes at the bottom of the page provided additional explanations for those changes.
Statement of Net Position Comparison (2025 vs. 2024):
Fesw.t(e
Ooa wrnel Acn.mn Rue,ne.ry . Aenv'ulee All Attn,oe. (UM ee dde) Pactte
2025 2M4 2025 Net 202, WA ❑,e CTe,Se
C.unent Anna S32591A43 131,135,581 127,451,637 326.516,/99 160.053.5110 S)],652.407 S2,40101) 4%
C6ptel. Nantvirctn Mm!
Wetted Ou&1 9f Rtaoutce, 9/592101 9314/281 6192232) 53474432 16D.314,424 141.621700 14A91,T74 1^(1)
T.tel Asa IJI1I11,9N 121,213p16 99.3M.MD 79,M1.311 220d67,ON 205.Y75,111117 17-92,737 99a
Currc.t Lubdac 6091,1.93 5,6922n2 3,64D,513 2.170,451 %.9l b[N 7.81 I1,051,/4)) -26%(2)
lafbaftwenem labanm e.e nefettd
w of Rmomw 11413111 11378319 1192 D1 9,114,656 19601,219 30,407,113 195,0➢6 4%
Tou oethrh. r7,M1210 16,92111,781 134032415f.5 11-U&IO 29-dow 20.310.SM (I,TM9Y5) .8%
C,ppul Aa,eu.7M d Related ikle
93,3311,11113
!r.054%
54,1]3,M3
45,)eooso
141,193,726
132,415,SA
IS.M,147
12%(3)
Resncad
15.533616
15,WS.812
2;494AT2
23.256,115
31.030.158
31.161927
113116%
-2%
UrcOUIIed
4/06153
1731N3
4AJ6.155
3.TI793
!n74.362
W%(4)
TOW Ned Poldo.
f tsisAta734
51oh,36),Ws
S 77.MVIS
S 011,6414311141
S 1914029.039
S 111.009J"
5 16.019.740
9%
Nmm to the Satetorot of Net Poshioe Comparison
t t) The City hd n laryc numtu7 of capita pm)con to plcted l0 time 1 aeel Year fas both govemmm W and bminest type funds
(2) The busmas.type funds dracused in ppabks suhslcnlially as eumpmed In [be Prim year
13) Fee mmc 1
(4) ()mtstrio cd land balN¢[ maeaae'J ognif cand71W pa9emme tal de Iuta
Because the City has not been required by the Governmental Accounting Standards Hoard (GASB) to
list streets and storm sewers acquired before October 1, 2003, those items are not included in the
^a` Beginning Net Asset amounts under Governmental Activities. All acquisitions of streets and storm
sewers on or after that date will he included. The City may decide in the future to estimate the
historical cost of those previously acquired stTects and storm sewers and adjust the beginning balances
at that time.
Finance Officer Nielson moved to page eight, which focused on long-term liabilities. He mentioned
the changes related to accrued compensated absences, which are required by new GASB rules.
Previously, the city calculated this liability by taking the total sick leave and vacation hours owed to
employees and multiplying them by their pay rates. Under the new requirements, the city had to
conduct additional analysis to determine how much of that leave employees used or cashed out within
the following three months. After adding these scenarios and reviewing the data, the calculation is
slightly revised, /but the change was not considered material.
0 Cbvnges in lung -Term Llabilides:
� A summary of long-term transaction of the City for the year ended September 30, 2025, is as follows:
OD ON am. obl,aw 13u Ww uw
LO 9/30=4 Iacmpd Pad W=023 Yw
\ GamnmsYl AstFab:
Aarm CsmpmLoa 6) S 1,04UM S 179)10 S S 1.226.133 S 1,226,1$2
\n-(s luk lJob"Y(�111 e39JW 223,990 1063,330 319,622
OP /I �FenadlYq,ec WlipOvn /t ak 12) I74,486 (51,692) 1n.W4 5I,N2
toe PgNkINw 13) 137.IM 22%,Wl 3%,m2 47,304
No mLbbdk5 (N, 141 e.351.042 (3,044560) SJ01,412
Gmammm,4 Anmurr 1�-I=I Aw,i 3 10.711.112 3 662.070 S (7.014,242) S 1.316.710 $ 1,704,M0
arrlar ypr ArlNalm:
A"md Comp=sr dAbbsac.(N 61 3 115.050 3 1t'" S S IMAM S 166.O
Net Pm,um La666Y (NW 14) 1.291,131 (310,409) 901422
wain UK) LM(1w 101 6.944.733 091,616) 6,74g137 2021101
Wpewasr ansez lboO.INw In) M,000 (730.1m)
Nuueau,pe /utlnbn Lmyi roan libi6lsr S 9,151,6M S 31,006 S (1J69,025) S 7.113,615 S 361, 164
rpw to -I CM Litlditia S 19.900,516 S 693.076 S (4.463.267) S 16.130,325 $ ;073,924
'there are currently no outstanding General Obligation Bonds.
4overomental Activities
Ibe format of the Statement of Activilics lists the expuroes first and then the revenues with a resulting
Net Expense. The reason for this kind of format is to highlight the relative financial burden or subsidy
of each of the functions on the general revenues of the City, including property tax, after that function's
specific revenues arc subtracted. The next page contains a comparison of the changes in the net
position from 2024 to 2025.
nn
Mrs. Flanary added that this outcome is important because if the analysis has produced a material
difference, the city would have needed to record a prior period adjustment in the financial statements to
reflect the change in methodology. Since the difference was small, the adjustment could simply be
accounted for in the current year.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the lease liabilities. On the governmental side, these mainly
involved police vehicles that the city leased. He reminded the group that the city had been running the
police vehicle leasing program for several years, likely around seven or eight years. After some
discussion, the group agreed that it had probably been closer to eight years. He also mentioned that the
city had been working with Bancorp to analyze the leasing program. Based on that analysis, the city had 171
decided to extend many of the leases beyond the original five-year term, since several of the vehicles
were now reaching the end of those initial lease periods.
Finance Officer Nielson explained that instead of returning the leased vehicles at the end of the
term and selling them, the city had begun extending many of the leases for an additional two to three
years. At the end of those extensions, the city would pay about one dollar to purchase the vehicle. This
meant the city would own the vehicles outright and could then surplus and sell them independently. He
noted that the city tried to maintain two different types of vehicles in its fleet. Administrative vehicles
were typically kept longer because they did not accumulate the same high mileage and usage as patrol
vehicles, although the mileage might appear low, the engine hours are often five times higher due to the
amount of time the vehicles spent idling.
Finance Officer Nielson said in addition to administrative vehicles, the city had also been
purchasing trucks at the end of their leases. Many of these trucks came off lease after about five years
with roughly 40,000 miles, and the city could purchase them for around $18,000. These trucks were
then reassigned to other departments, where they would continue to be used for many years. He
explained that departments like Parks and Public Works often kept trucks for 15 to 20 years, so
acquiring these vehicles through the lease program had been very beneficial.
Mrs. Flanary added that there would be some accounting changes related to these vehicles. In the
financial statements, there are two categories: lease liabilities and finance purchase obligations. If the
city planned to own the vehicle at the end of the lease, accounting standards required it to be treated
more like a loan rather than a traditional lease. As a result, those items would move from lease ^
liabilities to finance purchase obligations in the financial statements. Although the classification would
change, the underlying obligation remained essentially the same. The shift would likely appear in next
year's financial report as assets moved between those categories.
Finance Officer Nielson emphasized that the approach is very strategic, because certain vehicles —
such as patrol vehicles —were not ideal for long-term ownership due to heavy wear and tear, while
others could still provide many additional years of service. He also noted that the city still has a small
finance purchase obligation related to golf carts, which appeared in the financial statements under that
category.
El
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the contracts payable, which are related to SBITAs. When asked to
clarify the term, Mrs. Flanary explained that SBITA stood for Subscription -Based Information
Technology Arrangements, which essentially referred to software subscriptions that the city used.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the net pension liability, which was tied to PERSI, the Public
Employee Retirement System of Idaho. Instead of calculating those figures internally, the city hired
outside professionals to determine the numbers, since those specialists already had established systems
and handled similar calculations for many clients. He explained that outsourcing the work had proven
to be more cost-effective than doing the calculations in-house.
on" Council Member Tietjen asked whether the change meant the city had paid less into PERSI. Finance
Officer Nielson clarified that the change is due to strong investment returns over the past 18 months,
which has significantly improved PERSI's funded position. Because the retirement system's financial
health had improved, the city's reported liability decreased accordingly. Mrs. Flanary added that the
number represented an actuarial estimate of the city's share of the pension obligation at a specific point
in time. If PERSI had theoretically ceased operations at the end of the fiscal year, that number would
have represented the city's portion of the funds needed to meet future obligations. However, because
the calculation changed every year based on market performance and other factors, it was somewhat
artificial in nature, though still required to be reported in the financial statements.
Finance Officer Nielson noted that PERSI is considered one of the top -managed retirement systems
in the United States, often ranked among the top ten. He believed this strong performance was partly
because PERSI did not include health insurance benefits, which could place additional strain on
retirement systems. Although employees did not receive health insurance through PERSI, the absence
of that benefit helped keep the system financially stable and well -managed. He then noted that the
business -type activities section contained many of the same types of liabilities and explanations.
Finance Officer Nielson explained that the city has a water loan through the Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ). The balance on that loan had decreased by a couple hundred thousand
dollars, leaving about $6.7 million remaining. He noted that the city was not in a hurry to pay off the
loan, since it carried a 30-year term with a very low interest rate of 1.75%. Because of that favorable
rate, the city simply made the minimum required payments each year.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the wastewater revenue bonds, explaining that the city had likely
been in about the fourth year of that repayment schedule. There is a full schedule at the back of the
report that shows the details. He described the financing as a very good arrangement because the city
had spent about $13 million on the project, but only $11 million needed to be repaid, since the first $2
million or so had been forgiven, effectively acting as a grant. The remaining amount was financed at
1.75% over 30 years. He noted that the city had paid off a sewer bond that year, which was positive
news. However, the capital improvement plan suggested that the city might need another sewer revenue
bond within about three years. He added that the timeline might be extended slightly, depending on
how quickly future projects progressed.
Council Member C. Erickson asked whether the ice-skating rink would appear in this year's report.
Finance Officer Nielson explained that it likely would not appear immediately in the main section.
Instead, it would likely show up in the combining financial statements near the end of the report. The
project would also have its own fund, which has been created as Fund o6, so the city could track its
operations and financial performance separately.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the changes in net position comparison. The table followed the
same structure as earlier sections, showing governmental activities, business -type activities, and a
combined "all activities" column. On the right side, it indicated whether the changes were favorable or
unfavorable. He highlighted a few key changes rather than reviewing every item. The first major change
involved capital grants and contributions. He said he has never seen so many grants for sewer projects
as the city had received over the last few years. These grants have been exceptional and have brought in
a significant amount of outside funding for water and sewer infrastructure. For example, wastewater
capital grants totaled nearly $6.6 million, compared to about $3.2 million the year before, which he
described as a very positive development. He also reminded the group that the city had received a large
pml• amount of contributed infrastructure assets from development.
Finance Officer Nielson pointed out the investment earnings, which decreased by about one-third
overall. He explained that this decline was largely due to changes in the market and falling interest
rates. Additionally, as the city began spending more funds on large capital projects, the amount of
money available to earn interest naturally decreased. The third item involved the sale of assets. One of
the largest transactions was the sale of the Squires property to Valvoline. Although the property has not
yet been developed, the city had recently signed a new agreement after addressing some issues related
to the legal recording of the property. Valvoline is now planning to sell the property to another buyer.
The city agreed that the new buyer would follow the same development timeline requirements, which
required development within about three years.
Finance Officer Nielson explained that the property was located near Stationary Place, in front of
where the WinCo development was expected. The city had originally purchased the property for around
$340,000. After acquiring it, the city took the land needed for infrastructure improvements, completed
those improvements, and retained the necessary easements for future access and development. When
the city eventually sold the remaining property, it made more than $400,000 in profit. He added that
the outcome had been somewhat surprising. Two years earlier, the city had tried to sell the property
with a minimum bid of about $350,000, but no bids met that minimum. The city decided to hold the
property and later put it back on the market, where it eventually received bids of about $75o,000 and
$820,000. He noted how dramatically land values had increased in that area along end East.
He emphasized that the city did not purchase property with the goal of making a profit. The
original purpose had been to support infrastructure improvements. The profit was simply a
fortunate outcome, and the funds from the sale went directly back into street projects. I""+
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the proceeds from loss on the sale or disposal of operations. The
city began the process of disposing of the fire department's assets and debt early. The fire department
transitioned from being operated by the city to becoming a fire district on October i. He explained that
Fire Chief Childs needed to determine his cash flow, so the Finance Department began disposing of
some operations and funds earlier than planned so that the fire district could manage its own cash flow.
As a result, $2.7 million was transferred toward the end of the fiscal year so the fire district would be
prepared once October arrived. He noted that the same process would continue in fiscal year 2026,
when approximately four additional funds would be completely closed out and transferred to the
district. He mentioned proceeds from the loss or sale of assets and noted that this category also showed
a decrease.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the Wastewater Fund, there were many projects, particularly
construction -related projects.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed page io. Public Safety referred to police and emergency services.
Emergency services included both the city's fire services and ambulance services. The city was still
participating in a joint venture agreement for those services, and the page explained how those
responsibilities are split.
Nate to tba Stattauent of Chaaw in Net Position Cousparlson
(1)
Sewer received a large federal grans for sower line replacement for tam sugar. mxburg and had an increase in contributed assets
(2) low am rates began to drop from the prior year and we spent down some of rho reserves on projects
(3) Sale of Assets increased dramatically. mainly due to sales in street operations and the fiber fund
(4) The city is no longer the employee of record for the fire dept as of 10/l/25 and began to transfer assets to the fire district for
several fun is
(5) to FY 2024 the city had done an audit of assets for all business type funds and disposed of a large amount of assets as compared
to a nonsral year like FY 2025
(6) A large amount of construction projects ocoved, inleWing a ,saltation shop and several sewer Una replacement projects
Below are some details about some of the activities found in the Statement of Activities.
Governmental Activities
Central and Administrative
(Mayor & City Council, Economic Development, Customer Services, Information Systems. Financial
Managcmcnt. Human Resources, Building Maintenance, legal, Planning and Zoning, Engineering,
GIS, Building Safety, Shop, and miscellaneous other departments).
Most of these departments' expenditures arc offset by revenues from overhead charges.
Public Safety
(Police and Emergency Services)
It is important to note that the Police and Fire functions create the meant financial burden on the general
revenues. but. customarily. that is what property tax is for. To provide the most efficient and cHectivc
funding of fee and ambulance services in Madison County, the City of Rexburg, the Madison County
Ambulance District, and the Madison County Fire Protection District have formed a joint venture
doing business as the Madison Fire Department. Madison County reimburses the City for Ambulance
expenses and its portion of shared expenses. Madison County Fire Protection District also reimburses
the City for its portion of shared expenses. In Fiscal Year 2019, a change was made on changes for
personnel in the joint venture from 5091* ambulanc e/50'/o fire to 481/16 ambulance/52% fire, which
increased costs for the City and fire district to help alleviate funding concerns related to the ambulance
district.
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts
The Parks Department is mostly funded by General Revenues. Only about $40,214 was taken in as
parks reservation fees in 2025.
The Recreation Administrative expenses in the general fund arc subsidized completely by General
Revenues, while the Recreation Programs arc intended to be self-sufficient. In 2025. a transfer of
$3,848 from the general fund was made to subsidize 2025 losses in the Recreation Program Fund. We
anticipate the general find subsidy to the Recreation Program Fund to go away next year as we
eliminated some programs with large losses and raised some rates to help this fund sustain itself in the
future.
10
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed parks and recreation. Many people believed that parks generated
significant revenue; however, parks only brought in about $40,000 and are therefore highly subsidized
by the general fund. Recreation programs, however, had performed well. A transfer of $3,800 was
made to subsidize direct program costs. Administrative staff who work in recreation are funded through
the general fund, which acted as a subsidy because the department operated within the general fund.
However, the recreation programs themselves cover their direct costs through program fees. This has
been the department's goal. He noted that Recreation Director Lewis has done an excellent job helping
move toward this goal, whereas the pervious Recreation Director had previously pushed back more
strongly and believed the programs should continue to receive more subsidies. The goal is for the fund
to fully support itself and eventually begin covering some overhead expenses.
Finance Officer Nielson mentioned the golf course, explaining that it has exceeded its budget for
expenses but had also exceeded its budget for revenues. The golf course experienced the biggest year it
has ever had and was extremely busy.
The City hired a Golf Professional during 2021 and ended the Golf Manager contract an December
�A 31, 2020. This decision has continued to help the City and County to better address capital needs and
reduce operating losses at the courses under this new model. The Golf Courses experienced their
highest operating revenue and patron usage of all time in the Fiscal Year 2025. Major capital
improvements continued to be made in 2025 at Teton Lakes Golf Course.
In 2025 the operating fund of the water park Rexburg Rapids experienced an operating loss of $18,364.
In 2025, the fifteen -year combined operating loss reached an amount of $233,642, which means
Rexburg Rapids has operated with an average loss of S 15,576 per year in its fifteen seasons. 'lhc City
Council also transferred 520,000 from the general fund in 2025 that will be kept in reserve for future
major capital projects or repairs at the water park. The capital reserve carryover was $51,277 at fiscal
year-end 2025. It is anticipated that the council will continue to transfer additional funds from the
general fund for these ongoing capital replacement expenses and will likely need to increase the annual
transfer amount in coming years to keep up with the capital replacement demands.
Cultural Arts includes the Tabernacle Civic Center and Museum of Rexburg, the Legacy Flight
Museum, the Romance Theater, and the Rexburg Cultural Arts fund. General revenues and taxes
heavily subsidize the Cultural Arts Funds. The Cultural Arts Funds were subsidized over 5594,800 in
2025 by the general fund. Major capital projects are scheduled to occur at the Tabernacle with the
HVAC project being the next phase of projects to be completed in 2026.
Streets
The Street operating fiord is funded by State Highway User I =, County Road & Bridge property
Taxes, and other charges and is not subsidized by General Revenues, except for I OW6 of the franchise
fees that have been allocated to that fund. The City shifted 100% of the franchise revenues from the
general find to streets a few years ago to address the needed street repairs/replacement more quickly.
The street operations fund transferred nearly $3.04 million to the Start reconstruction fund for future
projects in 2025.
-------------
Business-type Activities
The Utility Departments include the Sanitation, Water, and Wastewater departments. The City
maintains separate Capital Reserve Funds for Water and Wastewater that are funded through capacity
fees and used for large construction projects to expand capacity. In 2010, the City started a project to
expand the Wastewater Treatment plant and wastewater lines to increase capacity and to address some
other maintenance concerns at the existing plant, which work was substantially finalized by the end of
2018. The improvements helped eliminate odors and with the disposal of bio-solids, and added new
capacity as mentioned above.
To pay for the construction maintenance upgrades and expansion of the plant, the city secured a
revenue bond of 10 million dollars on December 8, 2010. which will be paid back with capital reserve
funds and increases in utility fees. The city did complete a tax-exempt current refunding (refinance
of bond) in June of 2020, saving 5309,460 in cash flow savings from interest savings (after fees) by
privately placing this debt. Our final annual bond payment was made in 2025.
The utility funds, which include three respective utility operating funds, water capital reserve, sewer
capital reserve, water capital construction, and the sewer plant construction fund, decreased in cash
and short-term investments by $1,364,444, ending the year with a balance of $23,453,870, which can
be seen an the Statement of Net Position.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the Rexburg Rapids operating loss of about $18,000, which was
much better than expected. Over its 15 seasons of operation, the average operating loss had been about
$15,500 per year. He noted that this was very good for a public swimming facility, since most
government -operated pools typically operate at a loss. The speaker also explained that money from the
general fund was transferred to cover capital replacement needs. Additionally, the city did not have to
pay debt for the facility because it had been built through urban renewal and then donated to the city to
operate. He explained that if the facility had been run as a for -profit business, admission would have
needed to be around $20 per person during the first year just to break even, and it would likely cost
OM" over $30 per person today.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the cultural arts funding. Cultural arts included the Romance
Theater, the Tabernacle, the Legacy Flight Museum, and the Cultural Arts Fund. The total subsidy for
these entities in 2025 was approximately $595,000. A question was asked about the Legacy Flight
Museum, and Finance Officer Nielson clarified that it was not managed by the Cultural Arts
department. Instead, it was primarily operated by volunteers and City Clerk Lovejoy. It is simply
categorized under cultural arts for budgeting purposes. He noted that the major project coming up was
the Tabernacle HVAC project planned for 2026, while the major project in the past few years had been
repointing the exterior of the Tabernacle.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the streets fund. The main source of revenue for streets is the gas
tax, also known as highway user fees. County road and bridge funding has not been a major source of
revenue because it has decreased significantly over the past eight years. However, the city had been
addressing this issue with the county commissioners, and the funding had increased slightly the previous
year, which was a promising sign. The hope is that this funding will continue to increase.
Finance Officer Nielson also explained that loo percent of franchise fees were allocated to the
streets fund. This decision had been made about eight years earlier when the city recognized that streets
and related projects were underfunded. For political and strategic reasons, the city transitioned
franchise fee revenue from the general fund to the streets fund. However, the speaker noted that if the
general fund were ever in serious financial difficulty, the city council could choose to redirect some of
those franchise fees back to the general fund. Council Member C. Erickson pointed out that even with
these franchise fees, the streets fund was still underfunded. Finance Officer Nielson also noted that the
city expected to receive less funding from the state for street projects in the coming years. Although the
state had previously provided an additional $3.2 million due to a surplus, that extra funding would
likely not continue.
Finance Officer Nielson mentioned the city's business -type funds and explained that these included
enterprise -style funds such as utilities. The utility funds consisted of operating funds for water, sewer,
and related services, along with construction funds. Despite completing a significant amount of capital
work, the city's cash balance only decreased by about $3.3 to $1.4 million, which was considered
reasonable. The city still maintained approximately $23.4 million in cash and short-term investments.
He explained that the city managed its investments strategically. Working with Finance Controller
Miller, they aligned investment maturities with the city's capital improvement plan so that funds would
become available when projects required cash. Overall, the city typically managed between $48 million
and $50 million in investments.
The City of Rexburg provides wastewater treatment services to the City of sugar City and the City of
Teton at a per gallon charge that includes operating costs. Both cities have provided their share of
capital up front through the payment of cspftaIi7j,06X1eft that reserve certain mounts of capacity for
their usage. Those two cities together provi a 6.43% o f the total monthly -billed revenue for the
wastewater department.
Sewer rates were last increased on October 1. 2025. Water rates were last increased on October I,
2025. Sanitation rates last increased on October I, 2025, Water and sewer capacity fees and Impact
Fees were last updated December 7, 2022. The city anticipated rate changes for water and sewer in
early calendar year 2026 and we are in the process of finalizing a rate study to also increase the water
and sewer capacity lees sometime in 2026.
the city received the final findings of the water facilities planning study at the end of2015 and began
construction in 2016. The projected improvements required additional funding beyond that available
in am capital and operating reserve funds. The water upgrades were funded with a combination of
reserves and a loan that was finalized in 2022 from the Department of Environmental Quality (DF.Q).
The loan included principal forgiveness of $2,211,300. The water project will provide needed
production, storage, and delivery capacity to meet the current water demands and future water
demands as our population grows.
In 2012 the City began to provide curb -side pickup for recycling to single family residents at no
additional onsl to the customer. In 2015. the majority of single-family residents were receiving the
recycling option. The Recycling Program is a joint effort with a third -party vendor. In 2014, 2015,
and 2016 it became necessary to increase the recycling contract expenses to maintain the program at
its current service level. There was no increase in recycling costs in 2017. but a substantial increase
in fees in 2019 was necessary because the vendor was no longer able to sell all recyclables and was
forced to pay tipping fees for some items, which costs were passed on to the city. This same fee from
the vendor was increased in 2022. The city is not currently seeking to add the recycling option to
commercial and multi -family users because the cons have increased. and the value of the recycled
products has dropped. When we recycle goods, it reduces the Madison County tipping Pecs expense
we would otherwise pay fur disposing goods. The city analyzed recycling with the oversight
committedcuuncil members during 2022 and dctermined to continue to offer the service with no
changes, other than fee changes.
FUND FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS
As noted earlier. One City of Rexburg uses fund accounting to ensure and demonstrate compliance with
legal, grant and budget requirements.
The focus of the City of Rexburg Governmental Funds is to provide information on the current year
cash Flows and balances. Such information is useful in assessing the City's current year financing
requirements. Unassigned fund balances that are not held for emergencies or cash Dow purposes, may
serve m a useful measure of the City's net resources available for spending at the end of the fiscal year ,..a
that could be added to expected revenues for the following fiscal year.
The General Fund Balance (sec page 67) decreased by S 179,642 during the year.
'the Street Funds Balance (scc page 681 igcreaod hy$2;060,454eicaving a fond balan of S6,814,837
in the street opcmtiore. street repair, and street reconstruction funds. This carryover axe es t m
12
Finance Officer Nielson added that wastewater services are provided to the cities of Sugar City and
Teton. Waste from those communities made up about 6.43 percent of the total wastewater processed at
the plant. However, their waste was more expensive to treat because it traveled a long distance before
reaching the facility, especially from Teton, and it was often nearly septic by the time it arrived. He
mentioned that sewer rates had increased and that water and sewer rates were raised again in January.
A new rate study was underway, and the city expected to receive the results within the next four or five
months.
Finance Officer Nielson referenced a water loan described earlier in the report and then moved to
discuss the distinction between major and minor funds in the city's financial statements. The major
funds are listed in the report. The general fund balance decreased by about $179,000, which was
considered a positive outcome compared to what had originally been budgeted. Meanwhile, the streets
fund balance increased by about $2 million, bringing the total fund balance to approximately $6.8
million. Although this was a high balance, the city has projects planned, and the funds would be used
once those projects were engineered, bid out, and completed.
001041 Finance Officer Nielson explained that the remaining funds in the streets budget were largely
committed to planned projects. Although the streets fund showed a high balance, the money was
already obligated for projects that still needed to be engineered, bid out, and completed. Mayor Merrill
added that this is important for City Council Members to understand. During council meetings, when
discussing LIDs that the city does not have a large amount of money available to be able to cover all the
Local Improvement District (LID) costs. However, Council Member C. Erickson clarified that the city
did not actually have excess funds available, because the money has already been committed to projects
even though it had not yet been spent.
the stint impact fund. lbc fund balance will be carried over for projects that are already, planned and
budgeted tar in future years.
The F.magrncy Services Fund (sere page 69) is financed by three entities: the City of Rexburg (Im fire
suppression services), the Madison County Fire Protection District, and the Madison County
Ambulance District. All expenditures are billed to the three entities based on the benefit received by
each.:he1undbWm;eis-n^mud*al mys-rem-hccausethe Overentities reimburse all expenditures.
,T%e P.mergmcy Services Fund ended the fiscal year $233,043 over u ge .
The Local Improvement District (LID) Debt Service Fonds (see page 70) balance increased by
S494,gLAuring the year. This fund balance chungcs each year as LID's are paid off and new LID's
ara added.
The Local Improvement District (LID) Consmiction_k_tuxis (see page 71) had no change in fund
balance. lTic city attempts to close out these constructionfunds in the end of each year if they can.
Police, Fire, Parks and Street Development Impact Fees combined were up in 2025 over 2024 and the
city-collcacd in the amounts of $§9,596, SQ,-890 5326,528, and $429,908 respectively, totaling
S.88,922 f ualified capital improvctnrnts in lfia c dcpertnnrnts. It is important to illustrate the need
or Impml fees by looking at the fund balances of each respective fund to determine the health of than
funds in providing the necessary capital in meet the demands of the growth in our community and its
impact on am current service levels. At the rnd of the fiscal year 2025, the Police Impact Fee Ford
was at $344,487. We hope to construct or purchase a larger police station in the near tioure and pion
to save impact fees to help with this colt. The Fire Impact Fee Fund had a balance of $25,922, which
will help fund the future replacement of rite engines and expanxinn at addition of Ore stations. the
Parks Impact Fee Fund balance was $871,379 and is being accumulated for fume park projects,
including the Teton River Park that will be constructed in the summer of 4026. -the Street Impact
Fees Fund balmce available to be used for qualified street projects wai 82,487,295. T)te city finalized
the respective Capital Improvement plans and Impact Fee Analysis fbrrachlypc of impact fee in May
of 2020. We also perfarmed an update to the perks impact fees in May of 2023. We plan to update
the capital improvement plans and impact fee analysis in 2026.
"Thr Joint Fire Equipment Ford had a positive fund balance of $219,332, which comes (Trim
contributions from the City and the Madison County Fire Protection District. These funds arc for
fume purchasesoffire equipment and facilities. This fund is moving firms the city of Rexburg budget
W the Madison Fire District 60dgeLin Fiscal. Y uir2026 mdwr,*Zg r to dispose of operations in 2025.
The GIS (Geographic Information System) Fund was first created in 2004 to Imck the funding of the
joint City/Coorty GIs Department on a 50150 financing split.
Ilse golf courses, Teton Lakes of 27 holes and the Legacy Course of 9 holes. are jointly owned and
managed by the City of Rexburg and Madison County. their governing boards appoint a Golf Board
consisting of six citizens and a member of each of the governing boards to aetes t liaison to the Board.
At the end of the fiscal year the Golf Operating fund had a caryovard $627.718`1lind much of this
will go towards future capital projects. The Gulf Construction fu"rried ova 1212.900 and we
plan to increase this find balance to replace the irrigation systems at Teon Lakes in five or am years.
them was a tranater of $107.500 frnm the Unit Operations Fund to the Gulf Debt ServicciCupital
Savings Food to help save for the irrigation pmjcct and to pay back the golf cans purchased with a
loan from the city/county.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the 9th East Corridor project, which had previously been referred
to as East Parkway. The corridor runs from Barney to 7th North. The city had already purchased land
PER for the road as well as surrounding park land. The bridge portion of that project had been at risk of
cancellation by the federal government because the cost estimate increased significantly. The original
estimate had been about $6.2 million, but engineers later estimated the project would cost
approximately $23.5 million, and the project had not yet gone out for bids. During a call with project
partners, there was concern that the project might need to be canceled. Finance Officer Nielson
suggested that they request additional funding from the federal government while the city located
additional funding sources locally. He proposed finding funding through urban renewal and the city's
reserves. Although he initially doubted the request would succeed, the partners later confirmed that
they had secured additional federal funding. The federal government agreed to contribute $4 million,
urban renewal committed another $4 million, and the city planned to use its street impact fee reserves
along with a portion of street operations funds to cover the remaining costs. The project was expected to
go out for bid and move forward the following year.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the emergency services funding. The city zeroed out that fund at
the end of each year. Emergency services had gone over budget by about $233,000 that year, and they
had been over budget by approximately $210,000 the year before. He explained that the city was
working with Fire Chief Childs and County Clerk Kim Muir at the county level to revise the budgeting
process within the joint venture agreement. They planned to meet in mid -March to discuss those
changes. As part of the proposed changes, the speaker recommended implementing a target -based
budgeting approach. Emergency services would present their requested funding increases, but the city
would evaluate those requests against available revenue. If the department requested a large increase,
such as 12% or 20%, the city might respond that it could only afford something closer to 6%. The
department would then be responsible for adjusting its budget to fit within that limit.
Council Member C. Erickson agreed and emphasized that emergency services needed to stay within*l�
their approved budget. He expressed concern that the department exceeded its budget by $200,000 to
$300,00o each year. Finance Officer Nielson noted that the city was typically responsible for about 35%
to 38 % of any amount that emergency services exceeded its budget, with the remainder being shared by
other entities. Finance Officer Nielson also proposed that if the department went over budget, the
deficit should remain in the emergency services fund as a negative balance and be incorporated into the
following year's budget. This approach would require the department to account for the overspending
in the next year. Conversely, if the department came in under budget, the remaining funds could be
carried over to help cover future expenses. He explained that this approach would incentivize the
department to manage its budget more carefully, although it might also encourage them to request
higher budgets initially.
Mrs. Flanary asked whether this fund included wildland fire funds. Finance Officer Nielson clarified
that wildland funds were not included in this fund, although they appeared elsewhere in the combined
financial statements.
Finance Officer Nielson moved to Local Improvement Districts (LIDs), which are another major
fund. The debt service fund for LIDS had increased by about $500,000. These funds represented money
the city had loaned for infrastructure improvements. He added that construction funds are typically
brought down to zero at the end of each year within LIDS, which is normal practice.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the impact fees. Impact fees have increased slightly compared to
the previous year. The city collected approximately $900,00o in impact fees overall, including about
$70,000 for police, $62,000 for fire, $326,00o for parks, and $429,000 for streets.
Council Member C. Erickson asked how the impact fee distribution is determined. Finance Officer 7.
Nielson explained that the city conducted an impact fee analysis for each category —police, fire, parks,
and streets —and each fee had to be spent specifically within its designated category. The funds were
tied to a capital improvement plan for each area. The city conducted these studies with Zions and was
currently updating them. He emphasized that the funds cannot legally be redirected to other purposes.
For example, the city could not take all the impact fee revenue and spend it on a single project outside
of its designated category. He added that the updated studies recommended significant increases in
police and fire impact fees. This recommendation was largely due to the increased cost of construction
per square foot compared to earlier estimates used in previous studies. The parks impact fee study also
recommended an increase, while the streets study was still being finalized. He said the council would be
updated as those studies progressed. At the same time, the city was also reviewing capacity fees for
water and sewer, which had not been increased since 2022. Those fees were also expected to increase.
Finance Officer Nielson noted that about $ 2.5 million in street impact fees had been carried over,
which would likely be used for the 9th East Corridor project mentioned earlier. The project's share from
impact fees was expected to be closer to $3.2 million.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the golf course fund. The golf course carried over $627,000,
which he described as an excellent outcome. Historically, the golf course often ran deficits of hundreds
of thousands of dollars and sometimes they had to borrow money to cover those losses.
Council Member Tietjen asked about the difference between the Joint Fire Equipment Fund and the
Emergency Services Fund. Finance Officer Nielson explained that the Joint Fire Equipment Fund was
shared between the fire district and the city. Each entity contributed $io5,000 per year to the fund. The
money was saved and invested until it was needed, and the purpose of the fund was to pay for major
equipment purchases, such as replacing fire trucks. At the time, the fund had accumulated a balance of
a little over $1 million. He clarified that this fund is separate from the Emergency Services Fund. The
Emergency Services Fund primarily covered operational expenses, such as day-to-day costs of running
emergency services. It included only a small amount for minor capital purchases.
Council Member C. Erickson noted that although there is currently a carryover balance, the city
would face a large expense in the coming years to replace the golf course sprinkler system. The
replacement is expected to cost several million dollars.
10
Finance Officer Nielson explained that the city had renamed Fund 51, which had previously been
called the Golf Construction Debt Service Fund. That fund had originally been used to pay off debt
related to the new nine holes of the golf course, but the debt had been fully paid off the previous year.
The city was now using the fund to set aside between $18o,000 and $20o,000 each year for future golf
course improvements. The money came from subsidies from both the county and the city, along with a
transfer from the golf course operating fund. The goal was to save enough money over about five years
to begin replacing sprinkler systems, potentially one section of nine holes at a time.
Finance Officer Nielson noted that the Legacy Golf Course would have a completely new sprinkler
system when it opened, hopefully in April. Although the course had not officially opened yet, people had
already been using it. The city had not placed flags on the holes yet, but golfers had still been going out
to play. Golf Staff would soon need to work throughout the course to complete the additional sprinkler
system work.
Council Member C. Erickson clarified that Teton Lakes is officially open while Legacy is not
technically open yet, even though people were already using it. Finance Officer Nielson mentioned that
the course had been busy, partly because the Buddy Pass program has increased participation.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed page 14 of the report, which showed several net income numbers.
He noted that the Water Capital Reserve Fund is an important fund. The city carried over
approximately $5.56 million in that reserve. After reviewing the report, he clarified that some of the
numbers represented a combined total for certain funds.
Proprietary Funds
"ITtc City of Rcxburg proprietary find statements provide the some type of information found in t
government -wide statements, but in more detail. 'Ibese statements include information from b it
capital reserve and operating funds. T ��
Fund 25 is the Sanitation Fund Fund 26 the Water Operations Fund. and Fund 27 the )w0gewatcy '�
Operations Fund. 'Ibcsr operating funds ended the year with net income of $8.735 8, of whit9'idi
$4,658.629 was due to grants and contributed assets from developers.
The Utility Operations Funds increased in cash and investments by $1,700,553, ending the year with
a balance of $15,462.829 in cash and investments. The Sanitation Furid ended with a balance of
S1,428,791. 'Ibe Water Operation Fund ended -with "a balance 9f $7,791,443. the Wastewater
Operations Fund ended with a balance of $6,242,595. '
The Water Capital Reserve and Capital Construction fund ended with a combined balance of $2.43
million in cash and investments. The Wastewater Capital Reserve and Wastewater Treatment Plant
Construction fund ended with a combined balance of S5.56 million in cash and investments.
GENERAL FUND BUDGETARY HIGHLIGHTS
Ibe City strives to maintain a total general fund committed fund balance equal to a minimum of 25%,
or greater, of general fund budgeted expenditures for necessary cash now, for unforesrrn emergencies,
and to mitigate current and future risks. At the end of 2025, the fund balance was 28.96%of the 2025
actual expenses. the city expects this fund balance to continue to decrease over the next few years as
it anticipates the construction of or moving of the police station along with some other large capital
expenditures for our historical buildings. A large portion of this carryover is also typically used as a
fund balance carryover in the budgeted revenues to balance the budget from year to year.
Revenues
Total Budget of Revenues $ 19.276.200
Budgeted Cash Carryover (Deficit) 1,000,000
Budgeted Revenues Expected Net of Carryover 19.276,200
Actual Revenues Received (including transfers in) 19,432,747
Surplus (Deficit) of Revenues vs. Budget 156.547
Expenditures
Total Budget of Expenditures 19,276,200
Actual Expenditures (including transfers out) 19,612,389
Under (Over Budget (336,199)
Excess ( fiici cy) of Revenues over Expenditures (179,642)
Fund Balance —
Beginning Fund Balance 5,860,191
Ending Fund Balance $ 5,690,549
14
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed highlights from the general fund. The city had budgeted
approximately $18.2 million in revenues, excluding carryover funds, but received about $19.4 million,
including transfers. On the expense side, the city has budgeted approximately $19.27 million and spent
about $39.6 million. Although spending slightly exceeded the budget, the city also brought in additional
revenue. Overall, the general fund balance decreased by about $179,000, which is much better than
expected.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed page 15 of the report illustrates areas where revenues and
expenses were either over or under budget. Some of the discrepancies were related to GASB
accounting entries for leases and asset obligations, which were difficult to estimate accurately
during the budgeting process.
However, some individual accounts or depamnents in the general fund showed variations that are
notable (S100,000 or more):
Significant Revenuers Gverage (Shortage)
Sales Tax
$ 539,050
Sale of Assets
254,769
Investments/Unrealized Gain (Loss)
(�'12�9�,�65�4,,)
Ice Rink Contributed Assct-4% (Did not happen yet)
r r"s
Federal Grant - Forestry (Out on hold)
(312,255)
GASB % Software SBITA Post -IT Dept
401,573
Police Admin• - GASB Lease entry Vehicles
607,338
Sieniftcant Expenditures Under (Over) Budgct
GASB 96 Software SBITA Post- IT (Offset by above-nct SI2,054) S (413,627)
Police Detective Wages/Bcnefits (99,059)
Porter Park Irrigation Project not approved -Federal Grant 318,300
Ice Rink Contributed Asset -Offset by entry above 240,000
Police Admin'- Offset by Lcasc entry above (607,338)
STREET FUND BUDGETARY HIGHLIGHTS
Revenues
Total Budget of Revenues
S 9.5-5,-00
actual RCvenlleS Received (mclad111211:ttlsfets ut)
14.960. 3 2
Surplus (Deficit) of Revenues vs Budget
5.385 0 2
Expenditures
Total Budget of Expenditures
12.495.400
Actual Expenditures (ulduding tiati4ers out)
12.000.27S
under (Cher) Budget
(404.S78)
Excess iDeficiency)ofRevenues overExpenditures 2,060.454
Fund Balauce
Beginning Fund Balance 4.754,353
Ending FwndBalance $ 6.814.W
Finance Officer Nielson explained that sales tax revenues had remained strong during the year.
Revenue from the sale of assets also performed well. However, investment income came in under
budget. The city also did not receive a contribution related to the ice rink project because the project
had not yet been fully completed and operational. Shortly after the facility began operating, the
developer turned the project over to the city. As a result, the city expected to record a contributed asset
of over $5 million in fiscal year 2026 once the official valuation is finalized. He also mentioned the
forestry grant, which has not yet been collected. The city had recently submitted a test request for
funding a few months earlier to see whether it could still receive some of the grant funds. The outcome
was still uncertain, but the city expected to find out soon.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the street funds. The city had originally budgeted about $9.5
million in revenues for the street fund but received nearly $15 million. This higher -than -expected
revenue contributed to an increase of about $2 million in the street fund balance. He explained that
part of this increase came from strong state highway user funds, including an additional $1 million that
the state had provided due to a surplus. However, the city did not expect to receive that extra funding in
the current year or the following year. Under significant expenditures, Finance Officer Nielson pointed
out a transfer from street operations that was about $2 million over budget. He explained that this was
a positive outcome because the funds were transferred into the street repair or reconstruction fund for
projects. The city first covered operational costs such as snow removal and general maintenance
through the street operations fund. Any remaining funds were then transferred into the street
reconstruction fund to support future projects. The goal was to zero out the street operations fund each
year by transferring the remaining balance into project funds. _
Council Member TYetjen asked whether the city expected to use those funds soon. Finance Officer
Nielson responded that the funds would likely be used over the next several years, since street projects
often take significant time to engineer, bid, and complete. He also noted that several projects had not
started as planned, which explained why some expenditures appeared under budget. One example was
an overpass project that had originally been planned but was canceled after the federal government
withdrew $2 million in funding. The city intended to continue reapplying for federal funding
opportunities whenever possible.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed Ambulance District funding. The speaker explained how the costs
of the joint emergency services operation were divided among participating entities. Madison County
12
Ambulance covered about 42% of the total cost, the City of Rexburg covered about 36%, and the fire
district covered about 22%.
The Madismt Ambulance District paid approximdel f,12"%uof thenet c9sts�during the past fiscal
year. The City and the Madiwn Fire District each paidabout 36% 22%Ipmspeetively.
es w
1
LSD Operating Fund Revenues and Fxpcnsere both approxmfatc33,043 over budget - both
because this fund is usually zeroed out at the end of the year and any savings or overture ore shared
by the three entities imrrrediatcly. Tlue City's share of the net expenses was $1.893 352 of a
$1,818,200 budget, or $05,152 over budget.
LID CONSTRUCTION FUNDS BUDGETARY HIGHLIGHTS
Rn enuue,
Total Budget of Reeetntn
OEM
Acnral Rr•eaun Received uucludwa uwsEm uu 1.295.?9S
Surplus (Deficit, of Revenue, rs Budget Ofi`><1.502
/1M
Exueutdduues
Total Budget of Expenditures ?.a95.aw1
Actual Expenditures ,including bau,fru our, L795.?9S
L'nder i0veri Btdvt 2.699.50:
Excess �Detiiciency. of Re,roue, ovei Expendinu rs
LID DEBT SERVICE FUNDS BUDGETARY HIGHLIGHiS'`•..[,x,
Pncnue,
Total Budget of Recent cs $ a41.100
Actual Revenue, Received � including trmusfn s in 1 515.'4ri
SuurpIm(DefrcitiofReviaaesys. Budget 13:=3601
Torah Budget of Expenditure, 1141,11..
aerial Expenditure, undudina nan+ter• out, :4 -.,,
Crider, rhm! Budget oln.?-1
Excess (Deficiency- ofReveuues over Expendmat, -oliel
Fund Mange
Beginning Ftuud B+lanee 1 use i.-so.
Enyng Find Bal.ume S I.484'eg.
It is typical for a new LID debt service fund to be created each year and in sumo years to close on an
LID. We have up to 20 indivich d debt service LID funds at a time curtrdicinted into this report.
REXBURG URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY
separately issued financial sutemcnus for the Rexburg Urban Renewal Agency, a component wit of
the City of Rexburg is available at the City offices.
Il
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the Local Improvement District (LID) debt service funds. These
funds are used to help finance infrastructure improvements that benefit specific property owners.
Construction expenses were first paid by a construction fund. After the project was completed, the
portion owed by property owners was transferred to the debt service fund, which then carried a
negative balance until property owners repaid their share over time. The general fund ultimately backed
this balance. Because of this structure, he emphasized that the fund was not unlimited. Council Member
Tietjen asked whether the city could eliminate interest in LID payments, Finance Officer Nielson
explained that doing so would quickly deplete the fund. Without interest, many property owners would
borrow as much as possible and take longer to repay the debt, which would strain the city's financial
resources. Council Member Tietjen realized that the fund represented money owed back to the city and
acknowledged that it could not be used to reduce LID costs.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed page 18 and provided an overview of the city's total expenses and
what categories those expenses are included. The largest expenditures were for street construction and
Local Improvement District (LID) projects, along with police services. He noted that fund transfers
appeared to be one of the largest categories but clarified that these were not additional expenditures.
Fund transfers simply represented money being moved from one fund to another. Because
governmental accounting requires these transfers to be recorded, they appear as expenses even though
they are not new spending. The total budget was about $73 million, but if fund transfers were excluded,
the city's actual expenditures were closer to about $62 million. Overall expenses increased by about $1
^ million, or roughly 1.3%, compared to the previous year. Street expenses decreased by about 18%, while
police expenses increased by about 26%. The increase in police expenses was largely due to the
purchase of land during the year.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed page 19, which showed the city's revenue sources. The chart
contained many categories, but he highlighted that fund transfers on the revenue side must match the
transfers shown on the expense side. Property tax made up only about To% of the city's total revenue,
which he noted was often surprising to people who assumed it was a much larger portion. State tax
revenues represented a significant share of funding, and utilities such as water and wastewater
accounted for about 17-18% of the total revenues.
13
Actual Total Expense
FY 2025 Total: S73,549,136 mama In maaa. .l
Emergency
Ford ➢aenha 9avlele All
1Len Bm) endues 11.032
Ba%1
Yaa; RNnanon.
CURural Ant,
'of s,509 p%1
S0llbep Sarety
1.117(2%)
Administration.
DVOMad-
meludlF Fear
5.7201s'bl
Mneeltan.w.-.
Airport 109(MI
omen. LID
Canwctl nni
8arvla 0.974
(n%)
Shop 530(1%)
Engineering 723
O%1
mtatmMr 7,981
111%)
Pon. t0.0112 ome..727(6%)
114%) Gle Sa(1%) Mommn MI(S%)
[Its Actual Iad 2iNpcnxm pie chn .locate the mktive rile of the Jcpmmens or entmoria of
e.pema. lads 1.1 F.panealegory include hlahopaatingexpense and mpita plochaae.7enlc.
Opmin, hi)una does lam tywieM, iMude capita e.,uue and is the ammunl needed is find the
day. wday oprmioes of OM City ('ul+iW Fxpcnz is uwaly defiruJ x+en aperoc if Use herclit or
item pumblood is apntW m last two or mine yam sect it depreciated ova medtiple yeah as
delamired by the city's depredation whWule.
Cannmetion (. generally. edge piece of th pie oath ynr and k capita in We. hot varisx sWdeiy
from yar m ymr m am.uM. due who ovadahlc furling land the neodt eif that year. Fund 1'mnafen
arc made between different falls m pay for ehr,a for Ietvices givsm se to fad da deficit position
of fords with a umsfcr from the f rd Farad
the mnl opens in 2025 imoa[W by sppoximemly 1 1%m S909.OW dollars compuW m 2024.
We had Jon n,cr an 18% nduaion in area relaut pri,ects noes the prior you. hd pollee apm.
ma by 2, " with gin pmchue of Isnd for a furore police stalion We dw n v a ling, immense, in
arlagency oervice apensa as act bean to partially dispose of.paldmil in woad finds with the
transition if the fire doptiom eel firm talc city at employer 1. the, fire district a the employer run
frseal Y. Fund umst'ac saw. v,, lingo mett,dnn in e.fan[es nfever $3.4 million.
Actual Total Revenue
FY 2025 Total: $03.628.777 m.w.n o..wc
rww elan eue[a.a,.
Reston., elaxl
rteo.n s,ns.e
Adannxl
ID a«.u.. 11.1111
...n.uen.p.r
.."metal
w«r««e.«q.l.minl
D.[«..w[lw Ltxl
M[m[pMMb2iulnl
Yw[I wllln4xl
rr..«Aew.aorr
u.en aW lnl
tOYbMn.mllYl
rwwp... a
tllnp.A1 Wle".1
[p1rYbalesa"', heewry➢M«IasMe.
A.III[nMl
u.4ry [x.
Anun.n 111nry rat. SMt
oxl
e.wn a ,all . xn
la%I
or..wa
cwmwha. inn
le*1
stallions
Met .w.nrwr W
�1
aW r.w 1n«A.1a 0`1 nl0ry
c.assec.M4ae[] "ass's
11n1
I r. ca..ren
IM
C.naeWnaUMA(nI
Illc Adud fnbl Racna pic than lows the m4tivc sia, of the asgaria of mooned by wuree.
711td RevmW cWcpricv include hop uperatin, .... oral revenue that is restricted in capital
quchaa. Operating Revaoc deal rot inch* menne reserved for capita purchases and is the
mmwnt n..led s fund the dry to day o,crati[ma of the City. Capital Revam it to"),' cOnW as
... nattered In be wednn ptrchoev lhul am 9,, and to lair tame mom yam
Finad'I io efere and InwrfludChoget are made betwen different funds to Fey frct"as far emus
give or in food des deficit position of o peniculu Itnd with A transfer from the General or another
FLoad. IJD Asamemew ore roam chorpdi aphm a gmculu baefiled property for
Improsmoab rage by the City thmugh a I.,o1 Improvement Ili Win (LIB). Ssa l'aa iwlude
S.la I W, Fuel I'll, ud Li411se 7u 12cvmm tht ore dielribmed to lac ('ides by the 5ss of Idaho.
II is mlevw id pint our Ipa aBegirt) and Rc.. impnnul it is s Ihc ids, l e xeifbeert of 8 ,
Ciry, is a rtlulwlY smell pun of the fwl NevenW tlWga. koul R Nridp litx is property luhe
Imed by Ih Cnwdy f u Ihir Nrled R Poid,e hard Ihel xre tuned over by state Ilaw m Ibe Cin'. Ira
amnWt sat Irmnerrtd is aW m hof the Rag 8 Hndp I u a inn pmpmies within des
Ciry limiess. Ira Nog @ Hridp lax hadeerumd tsaulY far dosed year, Years.
Iles intal rctam in 2025murcead by 3,91l6 or over S3.1 million dnlloa campuW to 1024. 1 Wad
and None Small imcued dightly. Imnlmerd nminp d.cd by neuly fl million. Field
'I'maukri daraocd significantly fna the prior year with foil. overall pgats being .,lad
Mayor Merrill asked about contributed capital. Finance Officer Nielson explained that contributed
capital referred to infrastructure provided by developers, such as water, sewer, and street
improvements that developers built and then turned over to the city. These entries were not actual cash
revenue; instead, the city recorded them as both revenue and an expense, so they balanced out. The
amount could vary significantly from year to year depending on development activity, and that year was
a particularly large one.
Finance Officer Nielson emphasized that pages 20 and 21 are some of the most important sections
because they show operating expenses. In fiscal year 2025, the city had about $48 million in operating
expenses. Emergency services accounted for the largest portion at about 22%. However, he clarified that
the city only paid about 35% of the total emergency services costs because the expenses were shared
through the joint venture. Police services were another major expense, along with water and wastewater
utilities. Street expenses were expected to increase in future years as more projects moved forward.
Actual Operating Expenses
FY 2025 $47.971.715 x .r in assessment
taMtbll MIl MXI
sual0anp BMy Ia71Ys1
Recreation Ins filet
0.0 No 11%I
,teammates52IBM)
Wal US 11%1
6hap 320llxl
seen. as5111e%)
Custaw eamen Mf (1%)
"ayes 6 Cusped an (1%1s pal Come1.61^)
eta o,&ona unceamgl
Fana.wW aslegl.[wa
n371i%1
some 62M II mi
commonness tmaa
loenlm)
norm Rawu<n n1 ryxl
Economic
Davalopinaw Nalc
Alhnnppefan nxl
Calla cto Sao l
warwN m
reMdnab%1211]]1
12%I
town 2nslexl
F aMng is
Zonm952y1%1
YWash seat (19Y)
Pill, I M12%)
I7a &1Wl openuag lspaec Pic dun law the rchm,l .izeof the dgsbnau.r accimnesof
operating expenses. Operating Lxperse does not typically include capita expense fine& nod is the
aminmt needed in find the day'm-day operational; ofthere City.
Public Safety camona. which include the Police, Rm. and Amhusnce leparmems. alnpnu ab.m
39% ofe oprntinit expenses. This number has imroad tubvsnudly Ycu over year over yw win
IheTiatf"App Thew Wtvl%ufwhichmindsgin .9hcct.Saninmm�. [lad WuuIlMlc4me.
asmwtfasppo3imately Jl%vflhcupnadntlnpemn. Taal upernions acounsd fin 6%, leaving
mepo mused, 24Ya far des ear Ofda d<pamnens mauy.xia.
Actual Operating Revenue
FY 2025 $49,450,039 (Chan Is m thmmennael
Inurlund Che rges-
Oveehead 4.053 (11%)
Operating _ _ Property TaxlRood A
Contributions. Bridge 8.514 (17%)
4.402(9%)
permits &
Licenses 1.796
(4%)
Miscellaneous_
3.90618%)
Guilty C',
14,188
Franchrse
FeeslROW Charge
2.389(5%)
Pates Rim Golf
Arts Charges
2.514(5%)
Stain I....
7.499 (15%)
Its Actual Operate, Hsieh. is then lows Ifs held. ilxc of du atq.. of upwity
revmm. Operating Revalue does not include marry mans fur capita expenses and is the smomp
provided to find the day'tuday epaedmu of be City,
Utility Chug,,, svheh include the Wanesua. Sanistlon. ud W.Icr oar fin, ire about 29''. ofth
(mail Property 'I'u. Shim, l ace(with ft peahofit. load use A and InsrlW4 dsarym for Mrvra, �A
yivc�l 7rmsfne) ire gmmfplepmu rev'emees tot can be used at des Ciry ('nut, it's direretirm
Maly of the other atcpda tpaci6ed tic etch fed a epai.l platonic eg most be spat aceomino le
the optmin8 apace ird.7aeed 6y �xilllsslY SS.i7 mi8ion or IZ . m ampemd m 2024, with Nine sw ne.,ramens il9nd
du Ivgot ia'rave ..is, from Public safety fin amuxinuaely $4 million. Pula ..popes .Ben lararuing raenuea irKTc wd hy:lppmxim.aly e.', or S2 bN mdlm a w nl mW s 2f124, wilh
inerwcd apprslximmlely5547.t319 send FanerpneySmim appmxiwslY'f3.49 milli�nm wbegern the largenunease awmilor in the utility clArya of7''. or SIIN9,I1,110. Misallaneomrcvauccrow
mdi4m ofapm omatedesfiredcputnmtvamitiorstothethedsluauIheirnewmpluYaof apup iwauein mvalseofoverf683.000 in lope putJW maluye ulacm in wildlmdNaatn
leased eat focal )ear. 'flu mull, uf<rutn, lima torobined had W ianam of $242.000. in 2 ampued to Ihc pros yell. fh,pany we, oarcesd appm.tmwly 6% whim
Ittfsematia rystems showed a la,, to. lava the prior yen rile primarily Dun the reduction in mete sac of S': and m ineroem in fmchi.c end rips of wy ohxrym of g%. 'ITe
imp)emanlauon of . caw GASH 96 rule regudinp suhmn lion -basal information technelo,y mcmm. fee, in lone on it. to met inerco. in Nulf re,cnun incrusted come 13%compered In th[
armgemas. All ohm depusann W Iw aimnifrcam in. or decrmvz. Fiber npma5 prior you. (F,orhsW IntrRmd chsrga increased 11% nr aPpoxim rely S41M.IM0. Its other
docnaeed dp(feemiy once spin se wellopeating irarewa or do. care lax Jrutem, in other uw.
N, II
Mr. Kimball pointed out that police and emergency services together made up about 39% of operating
expenses. Finance Officer Nielson agreed and explained that public safety costs have increased
14
significantly over the past four years. While general revenues had grown by about 19 % during that time,
police costs had increased by over 40%, fire services by more than 6o%, and ambulance costs by over
8o%. These increases were mainly driven by rising wages and the addition of personnel.
Council Member C. Erickson noted that the city had conducted a salary study showing that police
wages had been behind market levels, which had caused the city to lose officers to other agencies. As a
result, the city has increased police wages over the past few years to remain competitive. Finance Officer
Nielson added that salary studies were typically conducted every five years, and sometimes they
revealed significant market adjustments. Police and fire wages have seen particularly large increases in
recent years.
Finance Officer Nielson summarized that public safety accounted for roughly 40 % of operating
expenses. Utilities made up about 31%, streets about 6%, and the remaining 24% covered other
departments. Many of those other departments are considered overhead departments that support city
operations. Some of their costs were reimbursed through internal charges to departments that
generated revenue, such as utilities and building permits. These departments paid overhead charges
back to the general fund to help cover shared administrative costs.
Finance Officer Nielson reviewed operating revenues. Operating revenues totaled about $49
million, which was slightly higher than operating expenses. Utility charges made up the largest portion
at about 29%, while state taxes accounted for about 15%. Other sources, such as the golf course and
similar activities, were sometimes assumed to generate large revenues but represented only about 5 % of
the total even in strong years. Internal charges between departments accounted for about 8 % of
revenue, returning approximately $4 million to the general fund to help pay for overhead services.
Mrs. Flanary reviewed page 23 and showed a government -wide view of the city's finances, which
helped answer common questions from residents about why the city charged certain taxes or fees and
where that money was spent. This page simplified the information compared to the detailed fund -level
statements. The chart displayed the city's governmental activities across five main categories. The first
column showed total expenses for each category, while the next column showed direct revenue, which
refers to revenue that is directly paid for a specific service. Direct revenue included things such as fees
that residents paid for services. These payments covered only part of the total expenses in most
categories.
CITY OF REXBURG, IDAHO
STATEMENT OF ACTMTIKS
GOVERNMENT WIDE
ONE" For the year ended Septernber 30, 2025
Program
Revomm
Net Wxpenael
Revenue and Changes
In Not Position
Charges
Operating
Capital
for Services
Grants and Grants and Governmental BustnewType
Component
FUNCTtONSIPROGRAIAS
Expenses and Taxes
Contributions CorMbut{ons
Acdvldn
Activities
Total
Unit
PRIMARY GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES
Gonerat and AdminlstratNo
S 0.335.133 S 5.692,456
5 3WA50 S
W3.155 S
(1,773,582) S
S
(1,773,662) $
Public Safety
18,097,687 4,172.293
3,697,179
433,128
(7,794,487)
(/,794,487)
Parfet, Got(, Recreation and Ans
5.144,412 2,767,WS
113,9f8
802,958
(1,859,720)
(1,859,720)
-
Streets
6,885,497 2.758,198
-
6.375,244
2,575,940
2,576,946
-
Int "M Eamso (tine d)
44,8li4
(44.6541
(44,654)
Tatty Govwnrnanlal Aeftons
36,207,383 15,418,706
4112,345
7.979.5M
(8.890 777)
(8.B98.777)
BUSINESS -TYPE ACTIVITIES
Water
4,603,064 4,454,270
2.074,874
2.020,080
2,026,080
Waste Water
7,383,416 8,502,051
-
8,599,982
5.730.627
5,738,827
sanlsatfen
3.821.025 3,505,936
(110,080)
(115.089)
Total Buslna Act:rltles
16,487,505 14,462al7
8 674 if8
7 649 618
7 849 618
TOTAL PRIMARY GOVERNMENT
S 61,694,88B S 20,581,013 5 T1112,345
1504,3 1 S
(8,898,7T7) S
7,549,818 S
(1,047,159)
COMPONENT UNIT
Rexburg Urbal Renewal district
S 203,917 S
3 S
S
S
$
S
(283,917)
GENERAL REVENUES:
Property Taxes Levied for General Purposes
8,en.495
8.613.406
2,638A18
State Taxes
7.499.015
7,499.015
-
Invesfinerd Earnings
1,318,219
790,620
2.105.748
333.138
Nliscetard"M
1.399,138
139,100
1.538,238
7,982
Proceeds from (Loss on) Sale of Operations
(2,720.WM
(2.720,900)
Procce fs from (Lose
on) Sale of Assets
t92 6591
122,884
30 306
(13,820)
Total General Revenue
16,014,408
1,052,493
17 068,899
2,866 718
Change In Nat Position 7.317,629 8.702.111 10,019.740 201,801
NET POSITION - BEGINNING BALANCE 100,363,096 68,846,204 175.009,298 7,249,790
NET POSITION - ENDING BALANCE S 113,660.724 S 77,348,315 S 191,029,039 S 9,831.600
The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Pert of the Financial Statements
23
Mrs. Flanary explained that when comparing expenses with direct revenue, most categories showed a
ICI deficit, meaning the fees collected did not fully cover the costs of providing those services. Streets
appeared to show a surplus that year, but that was mainly due to additional grant funding received
during the year. In most cases, governmental services operate with deficits because they rely on general
revenues such as taxes to cover the remaining costs. The remaining deficit —about $8.7 million —had to
be covered by general revenues,'which were shown in the bottom portion of the chart. These included
property taxes and state revenues. Finance Officer Nielson emphasized that property taxes were not
designed to directly cover a specific service but instead helped fund many government services
collectively. He explained that when residents asked why taxes could not be reduced, it was important
to understand that lowering those revenues would require reducing services as well.
Mrs. Flanary then described the enterprise funds, which represented business -type activities such as
water and wastewater utilities. These services generally operated differently from governmental services
15
because they were intended to function more like businesses. Their goal was to break even or generate a
small surplus through user fees. In that year, water and wastewater showed positive results, partly due
to contributed capital from developers who built infrastructure and turned it over to the city. Finance
Officer Nielson added that enterprise funds often showed a positive balance because of depreciation
accounting, which set aside funds over time to replace infrastructure when it eventually wore out.
However, since depreciation was based on historical costs, replacing infrastructure decades later
usually costs significantly more than the amount originally set aside.
Mrs. Flanary noted that the city did a good job with long-term planning. Many smaller governments
focused only on immediate needs, but larger or well -managed cities needed to plan five, ten, or even
fifteen years ahead. This sometimes meant raising rates before costs increased to prepare for future
infrastructure replacements. Although that approach could be difficult to explain to residents, it helped n
ensure long-term financial stability. 7
The discussion then moved to page 24, which showed the major funds at the fund level. Page 26
displayed the related revenues and expenses for those funds. The general fund received particular
attention because it served as the city's financial safety net. If the general funds remain strong, the city's
overall financial condition is usually strong as well. The city's general fund balance was about $5.6
million, which has decreased only slightly during the year. However, the general fund also transferred
nearly $3.2 million to support other funds and operations. These transfers represented subsidies to
other programs or services. While such transfers are common, they raised questions about long-term
sustainability if unexpected expenses occurred.
CITY OF REXBURG, IDAHO
BALANCE SHEETS — GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS
September 30, 2025
Emergency
LID Debt
LID
Other
Total
General
Street
Service
Service
Construction
Governmental
Governmental
Fund
Fund
Fund
Funds
Fund
Funds
Funds
ASSETS
Cash and Investments
S
5,596,510 S
6,395.585
S 272.059
S S
314,992
S 12.613.503 S
25.162.729
Receivables
1.372.578
1.167.730
134.585
2,330,429
-
3.300.429
8.394.751
Aowued Interest Recelvable-Leases
410
-
-
-
-
-
416
Lease Receivable
234,011
-
-
-
-
234,511
8appaes Inventory
61.697
-
-
$1.597
Pre-mment
68.351
-
3.000
91.351
Due tram Other Funds
2.573.768
2,573,788
TOTAL ASSETS
S
9,839.700 S
7.611,660
S 408,844
S 2.330.429 S
314,992
8 16.016.012 $
38,519.443
LIABILITIES AND FUND BALANCES
LIABILITIES
Accounts Payable
S
3.576.148 S
728,185
S 253,546
S 48,908 S
314.292
S 309.426 S
5.230202
Accrued Payroll Uablilly
329.783
38.394
110.900
-
-
258,007
735.093
Due to Other Funds
-
-
-
1,861.041
712.747
2.573.788
Other
30.260
42,190
22,725
96165
TOTAL LIABILITIES
3,904,031
790,829
408.644
1.909,947
314,092
1,300,906
8,834,248
DEFERRED INFLOWS OF RESOURCES
Leases
208.030
-
-
-
208,930
UnaysWble Revenues
45 200
1.M.240
-
15.294
1,970,824
TOTAL DEFERRED INFLOWS
OF RESOURCES
254,220
-
1.910.240
15.294
2,179,754
FUND BALANCES
Ier>dable
87,478
-
-
-
-
-
87.478
Restricted
-
0.814.837
-
-
7.888,518
14.483.355
Committed
6,503.071
-
-
-
7,061,399
12.644,470
lh+asslaned
(1,480,758)
(20,104)
O.509.662)
TOTAL FUND BALANCES
5.680.649
6.814,837
(1,489,766)
-
14.699.813
25,705 441
TOTAL LIABILITIES, DEFERRED INFLOWS
OF RESOURCES, AND FUND BALANCES
S
9.839.700 S
7.611.665
S 408.644
S 2.330.429 S
314.992
S 16.018.012 S
30.519.443
The Accompari ft Notes are an Integral Part of the Financial Statements
24
Mrs. Flanary explained that emergencies —such as equipment failures or infrastructure problems —
could quickly drain the general fund if reserves were not available. The city, however, had done a good
job building fund balances not only in the general fund but also in other funds such as streets and
utilities. This forward planning helped prepare for future projects and unexpected costs.
Mrs. Flanary said the general fund appeared financially strong. There was no universal rule for how
large a city's fund balance should be, but the city already had an internal policy. The city's minimum
requirement is 25 % of annual expenditure, though city leadership preferred to keep the balance closer
to 3o%. Following COVID-19, the city's fund balance had temporarily risen closer to 40%, partly due to
federal funding. She noted that while the pandemic period brought significant federal aid, the City
Council had been careful not to rely on that money for ongoing expenses. Much of the federal funding f"'I
had instead been invested in long-term infrastructure projects such as fiber expansion.
Mrs. Flanary reviewed the proprietary funds which were shown on pages 28 and 29. Page 28
displayed the balance sheet for these funds, while page 29 showed the operating revenues and expenses.
These funds included utilities such as water, wastewater, and sanitation. She noted that the city's cash
and investment balances in these funds are very strong. This indicates that the funds are financially
stable, not losing money, and saving enough for future projects and unexpected needs.
Finance Officer Nielson added that the sanitation fund balance had decreased compared to the
previous year. Previously, the sanitation fund had around $3.4 million, but the balance dropped
because the city used some of those reserves to build the new street shop facility. The city had
16
intentionally saved money in that fund so the project could be paid for in cash rather than through debt.
Going forward, the main goal for sanitation would be maintaining reserves to replace garbage trucks.
Adding a new sanitation
route could cost about $600,000, which included the truck and associated
staffing costs.
CITY Of REX8 a0. tnA110
CIRr Of ItMAG, WAHO
STATRMNT OF KET posmON - PROPitwrARy rumn6
I
STATLM[!YT Oi REVL UE9,E1 MffIJW AI(D CIIk%1S
A 2,
Bu ftr,Oie4ypd A&Vd1ea
U(W POBRIOPI - PWMrrAKV nXM
___ _
errtorprtuFuNtsASSETS
bpi02fL1S
fi�
Nhpsr Wouvantt4r
Total
Moretti Assrtb
Enterpnse Ftatds
Cosh and trmgm%e m
0 1.428,791 S
IO,228,324 S 11,798,7S5 5
23,453,570
80t11501 a* wutaluw
TOW
Rocawbtas
324,110
60,402 3.044.122
3.971.042
3000fts trwahxn
33,145
33,145
OPERATN REVEWS
Tat o Cwrraae Aarrcb
1,766.054
10,029,725 I4.842.e77
27,456A57
y U" 8Mi1 U
1391,451 S 4,333,539 S 6,348.083 S 14,163,073
capo Aroma
One tare Foos
222,055 11,107
233.172
AOCae m41 AUM
4,432,252
h o e.&IM
(II. o.77s3) (i+.a9,841)
(34.526,44"4)
mudwimull
4,485 137,95 6.2%
148,548
Taur Cap" Asses
2,3e3.412
26,196232 34,040,335
01,599,979
TOTAL OPERATWO MUM
3,5050 4.60,409 6,3%.446
U.584.791
TOTAL ASSETS
4,149,466
30•(125.950 48.863.212
00.058,636
DEFERRED OUTFLOWS OF RESOURCES
OPERATING EXPENDITURES
Parisian Ra a eo
sa,202
104.701 I;M 361
322 344
Uny C �
�"Mo„�.
3,428,332 3,505,928 4,434,156
11,388,416
TOTAL ASSETS AND DEFERRED
Dep cWon end knozaWn
192,693 837,6M 1.490,714
2,521,087
OUTFLOWS OF RESOURCES
i 4,237,148 S
38,130,659 S 49.012.513 S
69,380,98Q
LIAGMTgas
TOTAL OPERATING EXPEkDIT M
3,621,025 4,343,608 5,924,870
13,889,5M
Currom t.laaaaes•
Acm sts Poyabb
f 522,909 S
342AN S 1.878.724 S
2,744,579
OPERAitNO INCOSIE
(115, 349,601 440 576
""°I
675 288
Accrued Compormateo Aburms
Accrued Payroll
20,857
15,604
48.445 90,753
37,099 42,125
165.058
94,028
Accrued knerM Payable
4.111 -
4,111
NON•OPERATING REVENUER PffNW)
Other
chants Recorim in Aawnce
22,767
201.464 4,059
568,705
300 m
ow,705
Gwits and Conbibrdiol ifte 0I Cepwp
615,475 4.164,135
4,779,610
CoMM POMM or (eno eo"r Obbo corm
zo 608
MAN
Oath ww Capital
1,374,750 1,042,848
2,417,598
Tow cu=ffl Lm tm
590,227
614,064 2,704 368
4,208,677
Net Rom& horn Capital AW SIB
1,030 8,000 113,834
124864
Noncurrent LIMMO
Imrestnlard Earrings
42,8M 334,730 428,729
806,295
rtorKuerant Person at Lone -tarn Obl�oera
Nat Parrs.ah LrsbeM
233.775
8.444.029
2%1,042 389,005
6.544.029
901.422
UnrCB�d W f1 =)
(8,760) p,488)
15,7
( 66)
Tatar Nalumm Lrablrlbs
235,775
6,840,071 389.605
7,445,451
klteresl Etaen3e
(14,807) M,970
(63,718)
TOTAL LIASILM23
Vd,00
7,754,155 3.073,971
11 654120
TOTAL NON4PERATWG REVENUES
DEFERRED D(FLOW3 OF RESOURCES
��$)
43,886 2 249,668 MOO
8,0�,823
Penabrl tdMd
73,160
142 437 182 000
378 837
NET POSMON
CKWE IN NET POSIT=
yi= 20A 6,173.685
8,10W 1
trrrar m0 in Copts Assets
Nei at Retstso OW
2.353.412
10,450.095 34.040.335
54.853.042
Reamed for
Cf mt Prgsets
2.434.881 4.600,293
7.035,174
FM BNAIM ffADM Of YEAR
3,409,M 25,634,378 39.W2,M7
68.64 A4
053020 ps
07$.154
7349071 7,135,074
15 459 299
TOTAL NET PORFM
3,336,508
20.234,041 45,775,702
"7 345,315
TOTAL LtA LT638,DZFVU DDIFLOW8
FM BALVA END OF YEAR
S 3.338,SM S 28,n4,047 S 45,775,102 S 77,348,315
or RESOURCES, ANO NaT PO=*N
$ 4.237.740 S
38.130.e59 S 49-012•5?3 6
09.300,90D
Tim AcwmpoyW Naas we an kkVW FWt of
r!s ftow sl 394aoeRh
7bc Ammpl yka Nara Ina 1:40 &1 d the FcNXW Stdu=
28
29
Council Member Riggins asked how depreciation is calculated. Mrs. Flanary explained that
depreciation was typically calculated using the straight-line method over the expected life of an asset.
For example, vehicles might be depreciated over seven to ten years, while buildings might be
ow" depreciated over 50 to ioo years. The finance director added that the city often used garbage trucks
until they were no longer usable, sometimes keeping them in storage yards to salvage parts for other
trucks rather than selling them.
Mrs. Flanary also pointed out a line item labeled "grants received in advance" in the wastewater
section. This amount, about $688,000, represented the remaining portion of the city's COVID-related
funding. Most of the federal funds had already been used for the city's fiber project, but the remaining
funds were transferred to wastewater and needed to be spent by December. The city planned to use this
money for equipment related to the wastewater treatment plant's headworks project.
Mrs. Flanary reviewed the cash flow statement on the following page. This section showed how cash
had increased or decreased in each of the proprietary funds. For example, sanitation cash decreased by
about $800,000, water increased by about $372,000, and wastewater decreased by about $942,000.
The auditor emphasized that these increases or decreases were not necessarily good or bad. Instead,
they should be evaluated based on whether they matched the city's plans. If the city planned to spend
money on projects, then a decrease in cash would be expected and appropriate. Overall, she noted that
the city's cash positions and fund balances remained strong across these funds, indicating no major
financial concerns.
CI.1Y OF REXBURG, IDAHO
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
- PROPRIETARY FUNDS
September 30, 2025
Business Typo Activtttes -
Enserpfto Funds
Sanitation
Water
Wastmter
Totals
CASH FLAWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Rttaelpts from Customers
S 3,523,653 $
4,647,713 $
2,262,900 $
10,434.350
Payments to Suppliers
(t,571,166)
(W8,209)
(503.329)
(3.042.704)
Payments to Employees
(526,494)
(1,245,585)
(1,222,854)
(2,BM4,913)
Intemal Activity - Payments to Other Funds far Seances (891,452)
(1,088.140)
(1,408.371)
(3.367,973)
Other Paymentsllttwam Payments
(238,748)
(20,W6I
(259,274)
NET CASH FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
295,7133
1,345,273
(871,5641
769,492
CASH FLOWS FROM CAPITAL AND RELATED
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
sale 01 Capaaty and COnmbuttoris
615,475
4.104,136
4,770.610
Acquisitions of Property, Pleat and Equiprncnt
(1,133,212)
(1,649,883)
(4,043.353)
(6,826.448)
Change to Grants Reoetved In Advance
-
(41,29b)
(41.296)
Proceeds from Sere of Assets
1,030
8,0W
227,260
236,208
Interest Income
42,838
334.730
428.7120
808,295
Principal Payments on Revenue Schuh
(198.616)
(790.000)
(988.816)
Interest Peyfrle o
-
(74,807)
(8,971)
(83,778)
Challga to Intmest Papble for Capital
115
(351)
(238)
Unreaarod (Bain (Lmaa)an Invoststants
(8,260)
(7,486)
(15,766)
17
NET CASH FROM CAPITAL AND
RELATED FiNANCIINGACTWITIES
(1,089,346)
(973,268)
(71,324)
(2,133,938)
NET CHANGE IN CASH AND INVESTMENTS
(793,583)
372,007
(942,888)
(1,384,444)
CASH AND WVESTUENTS AT BEGINNING OF YEAR
2,M,354
9,954,317
12,741,643
24,818.314
CASH AND W NTI ENTB AT END OF THE YEAR S
1,426.791 S
10.226,324 $
11.798.766 S
23.453,870
RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING MEOW TO NFT CASH
FROM OPERATING ACTWIM
OP=b V I $
(115.089) S
349.801 $
440.679 $
675.283
Adlusomm a to Reconcft Operating Incwne to
Net Cush Provided by Opeea ng Activftlev
Depmdabon and AmodUtlan
192,693
837,6W
I AW,714
2,521,087
GatA m on Sale ofAaaets
(84.649)
(1,780,985)
(1,W5.814)
Cttanpes in Astiasts stet LtaD 10m
¢naesse) Deaesse in accounts receivable
13.00
18.371
(2,325,480)
(2,293,442)
(tnaease) Oevease in imetnary
(12,753)
-
-
(12.753)
Inareae (Detxnase) h acoorents payable
207,970
195.932
1.259,335
1,673,237
Irtaeaae (Oearaase) in waved cmPensate4 absences
3,296
Z478
25,233
31,006
masses (Deersaae) in payro0 sexual
1,499
4,109
4,031
9,M)
Inmeae (Ooae=) In net persion retnted hens
451
879
1,003
2.333
Iruxeaso (Decease) M depeslts oavable
4,057
20,682
3,949
28.828
NET CW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES S
295.783 S
1,345,273 S
(871,564) S
769.492
Non -Crib InvesUrm and Flmincina Activates:
The Cay MWW cap"I InMn=e ca
awrJagons
In "datlan 10
street. water, wasltrarater, and
lightterg lnpraYemeetts. The vs&te of rnese inbusteuctum otuelrlbutloos lo hated below by im paeted pmpdabry tend. and are
charged
against C&PU experdium and oor u trttan r0Y8nue.
WSW S
1,374,750
Wastewater
1.042.848
The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of the Financial Statements
30
Mrs. Flanary moved into the note disclosures section of the report. These notes contained additional
details about the financial statements but usually did not change significantly from year to year.
One section described the city's capital assets, which were listed on pages 41 and 42. These pages
summarized the total value of the city's assets, including buildings, vehicles, equipment, and
infrastructure. While the report did not list every individual asset, it showed how much the city had
invested in each category over time.
Mrs. Flanary mentioned new accounting standards related to right -of -use assets for leases and
software subscriptions (SBITAs). These items had previously been listed separately but would be
grouped with other assets in future reports due to updated accounting standards. The underlying values
would remain the same, but the way they were presented would change slightly. Another note described
the city's installment notes and revolving loans, which appeared on page 43. These represented short-
term loans made by the city that were being repaid over time. Some loans were paid off during the year
while new ones were added.
Finance Officer Nielson explained that these loans were typically small business loans, including 71,11
fagade improvement loans or financing for equipment or property improvements. The program was
administered through a loan committee working with Altura as a third -party partner. The city had
developed formal policies for the program about eight to ten years earlier after experiencing a few bad
loans in the past. Since adopting those policies, the city had been much more careful about approving
loans and had experienced strong repayment performance. At the time, about $48o,000 remained
available in the revolving loan fund for future applicants. These loans were generally used to help local
small businesses expand or improve their buildings. In many cases, the city loan served as
supplemental financing when a business had already secured a larger loan from a traditional financial
institution but needed additional funding to complete the project. Borrowers are required to provide
guarantors or sufficient equity in their assets to secure the loan. One recent example mentioned was the
Nitro Station project, which had strong financial projections and reliable lease agreements when it
applied for financing.
Mrs. Flanary reviewed note 10 on page 46, which served as a summary of the city's long-term
obligations. Notes 10 through 14 all related to this same topic and provided additional details. These
notes included information about lease liabilities, long-term debt, and repayment schedules. If someone
wanted to know what the city was leasing, how much debt remained, or when it would be paid off, those
notes contained the full schedules and explanations.
Mrs. Flanary noted that the following pages contained many detailed disclosure notes, they are
included to provide transparency and meet reporting requirements. Much of the technical information
in those notes was generated through templates provided by the state, and the city's financial staff filled
in the city -specific numbers before the auditors reviewed them for accuracy. i
Finance Officer Nielson added that the city used outside support from Rudd and Company to help
manage lease accounting software. The city had previously been paying more than $1o,000 annually for
the software alone, but by having the firm manage the system, the city was able to reduce that cost and
save several thousand dollars each year. The software was especially helpful because many leases had to
be recalculated when accounting standards changed.
Mrs. Flanary reviewed Note 15 on page 59, which listed instances where expenditure exceeded the
approved budget. The auditor reminded the council that overspending in a category was not always a
negative issue. Sometimes higher expenditures occurred because revenues also came in higher than
18
expected. When additional revenue is received, it is often reasonable for expenses to increase
accordingly. If the difference is not large enough to require a formal budget amendment, it might
simply appear in the financial statements with an explanation.
Finance Officer Nielson added that making constant budget amendments would require additional
staff resources. Since the city did not employ a full-time budget specialist, staff made reasonable
estimates and adjustments as needed throughout the year.
Mrs. Flanary reviewed Note 16 on page 61, which covered the city's component unit, the Rexburg
Urban Renewal Agency (RURA). This section provided a summary of that agency because it is closely
related to the city's finances. The note included highlights such as the agency's purpose, its cash and
investment balances, and its long-term debt along with repayment schedules. For more detailed
information, readers could refer directly to the Urban Renewal Agency's full financial statements.
She reviewed Note 17, which explained fund transfers between city funds. These transfers showed how
money moved from one fund to another. Although the transfers appeared as both revenues and
expenses in the financial statements, they balanced out overall because the same money is simply
moving between accounts. For example, the street operating fund transferred about $3 million to the
street reconstruction fund to pay for future projects.
Finance Officer Nielson pointed out that the general fund transferred about $3.1 million to other
funds. This represented the general fund subsidizing other services or programs. The notes also showed
exactly which funds received those transfers.
Mrs. Flanary explained the "due to / due from" accounts shown on page 65. These represented short-
term internal loans between funds, usually used to handle temporary cash -flow timing issues. For
example, the general fund might temporarily cover expenses for another fund until that fund receives
its own revenue. These internal loans were expected to be repaid in the short term, usually within a
year. If the repayment period were longer than a year, the amount would be reclassified as a different
type of liability rather than remaining in the "due to / due from" category.
Finance Officer Nielson explained the tax abatement related to Basic American, which appeared in
Note 18. The tax abatement agreement is scheduled to end in 2026. City staff have recently met with the
county assessor, Shawn Boyce, to review the situation and begin preparing paperwork to annex the
facility into the city. Once the annexation was completed, the property would be added to the city's tax
base in the following year's budget.
Finance Officer Nielson mentioned that discussions with the county assessor, the city noticed that
the assessed value of Basic American was listed at less than $5o million, which seemed low given that
the company had reportedly completed about $113 million in facility upgrades. The assessor explained
that the company might challenge the assessment, but it was likely that the final assessed value would
increase to somewhere between $too million and $120 million. This increase would eventually benefit
the city's tax base. However, because the property is located within the urban renewal district, the
additional tax value would initially benefit the Urban Renewal Agency rather than the city's general
fund. The city would not be able to add that value to its own budget until the urban renewal district
expired. Even so, the increase would still support additional projects within the district.
Finance Officer Nielson explained another disclosure that summarized how the city's fund balances
were allocated. This section provided a quick overview of where funds were restricted or designated for
specific capital projects. It allowed readers to quickly see which projects the city had planned to spend
money on.
Mrs. Flanary reviewed the budget -to -actual comparison schedules beginning on page 67. These
schedules compared the city's original budget, the final amended budget, and the actual financial
results. The general fund received the most attention because it served as the city's financial safety net.
The original general fund budget expected to use about $1.3 million of existing fund balance to cover
expenses. However, actual revenues exceeded expectations by about $535,000, and actual expenditure
came in at about $672,000 lower than budgeted. As a result, the city only needed to use about
$180,000 of the fund balance, creating a positive variance of roughly $1.2 million compared to the
p,.m original budget. She noted that similar comparisons are provided for each of the city's major funds but
did not go through each one in detail.
Mrs. Flanary reviewed page 85 Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards, which lists the federal
money the city received either directly or indirectly. The total federal funding for the year was $3.1
million. Of that amount, $2.2 million was a direct award from the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, and those funds were used during the current year. That EPA award was the program that was
specifically audited. Under federal regulations, if an entity spends more than $750,00o in federal funds
during the year, an amount that will increase to $1 million next year —auditors are required to conduct
additional testing. They must audit 20 % or 40 % of the federal expenditure, depending on the overall
risk level of the entity. Because of this requirement, the auditors select the programs that present the
highest risk and test those programs. In this case, the EPA award was selected because of its size, the
19
fact that it was a unique award, and the type of funding involved. All these factors qualified it as a high -
risk program, so it was the one chosen for the audit. Finance Officer Nielson asked for the date on the
document to be updated, noting that it should be changed to 2025.
Mrs. Flanary said the final two sections belong to the auditors. Page 88 contains the auditor's report
on internal controls. The auditors clarify that they do not give an official opinion on the city's internal
controls. Instead, their role is to report if anything comes to their attention that represents a material
weakness or a significant deficiency in the city's internal control systems. There is also another category
of issues that may not be as serious but are still worth mentioning. If a concern does not rise to the level
of a material weakness or significant deficiency, the auditors include it in a separate management letter.
That letter is internal only and is provided directly to management. In contrast, the internal control
report included in the audit is external and transparent, meaning it is published with the city's financial —
statements. For this year's audit, the auditors reported that no deficiencies or material weaknesses were
identified. Everything appeared to be operating within proper parameters, and the staff responsible for
financial oversight seemed aware of their duties and actively monitoring the processes. She noted that
there had been a finding in the previous year's audit. That issue involved the way revenue is recognized
for grants that were received in advance. However, the city corrected that problem, and it did not
appear again in the current audit, with no additional issues identified.
Mrs. Flanary reviewed the compliance report for major federal funds, which appeared on page go.
Earlier, she said she has explained that when a government receives more than $750,000 in federal
funding, auditors must perform additional testing under what is called a single audit. This testing
examines whether the funds were used according to the rules and requirements tied to that federal
funding. The report on page go summarized the results of that testing. The auditors reviewed both
compliance with the federal program requirements and internal controls related to how those funds
were spent. After completing their testing, the auditors reported that they did not identify any
significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the city's processes. They also concluded that the city
complied with the federal requirements in all material respects.
Mrs. Flanary explained that the final three pages of the report summarized the additional testing that
had been performed. If any issues had been discovered, they would have been listed in that section so
readers could quickly identify them without having to read the entire audit report. However, since there
were no findings, the section simply confirmed that the testing had been completed successfully.
She concluded the presentation of the financial report and asked if there were any questions. Finance
Officer Nielson asked whether the auditor could prepare a one -page summary comparing the current
year's financial results with the previous year. This type of summary had been prepared in prior years
and was helpful during city council meetings because it allowed council members to quickly see the
most important changes without reviewing the entire report. Mrs. Flanary agreed to provide the
summary.
Finance Officer Nielson noted that completing the audit at this time of year is helpful because the
city is about to begin its budget planning season, and the audit results provided important information
for that process.
Adjournment:
Adjournment 8:og P.M.
Attest:
`�/ / / /I��G4212�J alp QGz
Ma ja na Gonzalez, City Deputy Clete
411