Fort Walton Beach — Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, September 30, 2023 — reading text

The other information comprises the introductory and statistical sections but does not include the basic financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinions on the basic financial statements do not cover the other information, and we do not express an opinion or any form of assurance thereon. In connection with our audit of the basic financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and consider whether a material inconsistency exists between the other information and the basic financial statements, or the other information otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If, based on the work performed, we conclude that an uncorrected material misstatement of the other information exists, we are required to describe it in our report. Other Reporting Required by Government Auditing Standards In accordance with Government Auditing Standards, we have also issued our report dated March 15, 2024, on our consideration of the City’s internal control over financial reporting and on our tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements and other matters. The purpose of that report is to describe the scope of our testing of internal control over financial reporting and compliance and the results of that testing, and not to provide an opinion on internal control over financial reporting or on compliance. That report is an integral part of an audit performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards in considering the City’s internal control over financial reporting and compliance. Fort Walton Beach, Florida March 15, 2024 3  MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS As management of the City of Fort Walton Beach, Florida (the City), we offer readers of the City’s financial statements this narrative overview and analysis of the financial activities of the City for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. We encourage readers to consider the information presented here in conjunction with additional information that we have furnished in our letter of transmittal, which can be found on pages iv - ix of this report. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS  The assets and deferred outflows of the City exceeded its liabilities and deferred inflows by $87.4 million (total net position). Of this amount, $24.7 million represents unrestricted net position that is available to meet the City’s ongoing obligations to citizens and creditors.  The government’s net position increased by $8.6 million during the fiscal year. In the governmental activities, revenues and transfers exceeded expenses by $7.7 million in fiscal year 2023. This was the result of multiple factors including the sale of surplus property for $4.7 million and investment returns of $1.6 million. In the business-type activities revenues exceeded expenses and transfers by $845,755 in fiscal year 2023. Charges for services in the business- type activities and related expenses were relatively consistent between the current and prior fiscal year.  As of the close of the fiscal year, the City’s governmental funds have combined ending fund balances of $45.3 million, an increase of $8.0 million from the prior year. This increase is primarily attributable to delays in the commencement of planned capital projects, which is consistent with $8.9 million of encumbrances and special projects appropriated into the subsequent fiscal year.  As of September 30, 2023, committed, assigned, and unassigned fund balance of the General Fund totaled $26.1 million, or 88.4% of total expenditures in the General Fund.  The City’s total debt decreased by $1.1 million or 2.8%, during the fiscal year. This decrease is consistent with scheduled principal payments on existing long-term obligations. OVERVIEW OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS This discussion and analysis is intended to serve as an introduction to the City’s basic financial statements, which are comprised of three components: 1) government-wide financial statements, 2) fund financial statements, and 3) notes to the financial statements. This report also contains other supplementary information in addition to the basic financial statements themselves. The focus of financial statements prepared in accordance with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 34 is on both the City as a whole (government-wide) and on major individual funds. Both perspectives (government-wide and major funds) allow the user to address relevant questions, broaden a basis for comparison (year-to-year or government-to- government), and enhance the City’s accountability. 4 Government-Wide Financial Statements Designed to be corporate-like, the government-wide financial statements consolidate governmental and business-type activities into two columns, which sum to a total for Primary Government. This provides readers with a broad overview of the City’s finances in a manner similar to a private-sector business. Two statements, the statement of net position and the statement of activities, are utilized to provide information on a government-wide basis. The statement of net position presents information on all the City’s assets, deferred outflows of resources, liabilities, and deferred inflows of resources with the difference reported as net position. This statement combines and consolidates the governmental funds’ current financial resources (short-term available resources) with capital assets and long-term obligations. Over time, increases or decreases in net position may serve as a useful indicator of the financial position of the City. The statement of activities presents information showing how the government’s net position changed during the most recent fiscal year. All changes in net position are reported as soon as the underlying event giving rise to the change occurs, regardless of the timing of related cash flows. Thus, revenues and expenses are reported in this statement for some items that will only result in cash flow in future fiscal periods. Both government-wide financial statements distinguish functions of the City that are principally supported by taxes and intergovernmental revenues (governmental activities) from other functions that are intended to recover all or a significant portion of their costs through user fees and charges (business-type activities). The governmental activities of the City include general government (city clerk, city council, city manager, human resources, finance, purchasing, fleet maintenance, service maintenance, and non-departmental expenses), public safety (police, fire, building, and code enforcement services), physical environment (cemetery), transportation (engineering, streets, public works, and right-of-way), economic development (Community Development Block Grant Program, and community redevelopment agency), culture and recreation (parks, golf, library, and museum), and debt service interest. The business-type activities of the City include utilities (water, sewer, and storm water), and sanitation. The government-wide financial statements include not only the City itself (known as the primary government), but a component unit, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), which is a legally separate entity for which the City is financially accountable. The CRA is considered a blended component unit of the City and is presented as a special revenue fund as part of the primary government. The government-wide financial statements are found on pages 15-16 of this report. Fund Financial Statements A fund is a grouping of related accounts used to maintain control over resources that have been separated for specific activities or objectives. The City, like other state and local governments, uses fund accounting to ensure and demonstrate compliance with finance-related legal requirements. All the funds of the City can be divided into three categories: governmental funds, proprietary funds, and fiduciary funds. 5 FUNDS Governmental Funds Governmental funds are used to account for essentially the same functions reported as governmental activities in the government-wide financial statements. However, unlike the government-wide financial statements, governmental fund financial statements are reported using an accounting method called modified accrual accounting, the focus of which is on near-term inflows and outflows of spendable resources, as well as on balances of spendable resources available at the end of the fiscal year. Such information may be useful in evaluating a government’s near-term financial requirements. The basic governmental fund financial statements are on pages 17-20 of this report. Because the focus of governmental funds is narrower than that of the government-wide financial statements, it is useful to compare the information presented for governmental funds with similar information presented for governmental activities in the government-wide financial statements. By doing so, readers may better understand the long-term impact of the government’s near-term financing decisions. Both the governmental fund balance sheet and the governmental fund statement of revenues, expenditures, and changes in fund balance provide a reconciliation to facilitate this comparison between governmental funds and governmental activities. The City maintains eight individual governmental funds (General Fund, Community Redevelopment Agency Fund, Florida Building Code Fund, Law Enforcement Trust Fund, Law Enforcement Training Fund, Debt Service Fund, Community Development Block Grant Fund, and Beal Memorial Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund). Information is presented separately in the governmental fund balance sheet and in the governmental fund statement of revenues, expenditures, and changes in fund balance for the General Fund and the Community Redevelopment Agency Fund. Data from the other six governmental funds are combined into a single, aggregated presentation. Individual fund data for each of these non-major governmental funds is provided in the form of combining statements elsewhere in this report. The Community Redevelopment Agency Fund is considered a major fund for reporting purposes. The City of Fort Walton Beach adopts an annual appropriated budget for its General Fund, as well as each of the other governmental funds. Budgetary comparison schedules are provided for the General Fund and the CRA Fund on pages 85-86 of this report. Proprietary Funds All proprietary funds of the City are maintained as enterprise funds. Enterprise funds are used to report the same functions presented as business-type activities in the statement of net position and the statement of activities. The City uses enterprise funds to account for its utility operations (water operations and distribution, sewer collections and treatment, and stormwater management), and sanitation operations (garbage). Proprietary funds provide the same type of information as the government-wide financial statements, only in more detail. The proprietary fund financial statements provide separate information on utilities operations, sanitation operations, and stormwater operations, all of which are presented as major funds of the City. The basic proprietary fund financial statements are found on pages 21-25 of this report. 6  Fiduciary Funds Fiduciary funds are used to account for resources held for the benefit of parties outside the government. The City’s fiduciary funds include the Pension Trust Funds (general employees, police