Orange County NC Website
4 <br /> Orange County has therefore adopted a policy that requires management to maintain an <br /> unassigned balance as follows: <br /> 1. The County will strive to maintain an unassigned fund balance in the General Fund <br /> of 17% percent of budgeted general fund operating expenditures each fiscal year. <br /> The amount of unassigned fund balance maintained during each fiscal year should <br /> not fall below 8% percent of budgeted general fund operating expenditures, as <br /> recommended by the North Carolina Local Government Commission. <br /> 2. To the extent that the General Fund unassigned fund balance exceeds 17% percent, the <br /> balances may be utilized to fund capital expenditures or pay down outstanding County <br /> debt. <br /> 3. The County's budget and revenue spending policy provides for programs with <br /> multiple revenue sources. The Financial Services Director will use resources in the <br /> following hierarchy: bond proceeds, Federal funds, State funds, local non-county <br /> funds, county funds. For purposes of fund balance classification, expenditures are <br /> to be spent from restricted fund balance first, followed in-order by committed fund <br /> balance, assigned fund balance, and lastly, unassigned fund balance. The Financial <br /> Services Director has the authority to deviate from this policy if it is in the best <br /> interest of the County with Board of County Commissioner's approval. <br /> 4. Management is expected to manage the budget so that revenue shortfalls and <br /> expenditure increases do not impact the County's total unassigned fund balance. If a <br /> catastrophic economic event occurs that requires a 10% or more deviation from total <br /> budgeted revenues or expenditures, then unassigned fund balance can be reduced <br /> by action from the Board of County Commissioners; the Board also will adopt a plan <br /> of action to return spendable fund balance to the required level. <br /> Enterprise Funds - (Solid Waste, Efland Sewer, and the Orange County Sportsplex) — The <br /> County will strive to maintain unrestricted net assets greater than 8% of total operating <br /> revenues at fiscal year-end, net of any donated assets recognized, to provide reserves for <br /> operations and future capital improvements. <br /> Restrictions, reservations, and designations of Net Assets for Enterprise Funds <br /> For external reporting purposes, net assets will be reported as restricted or unrestricted in <br /> accordance with GAAP. For internal purposes, net assets will be reserved or designated as <br /> follows: <br /> 1. Encumbered balances to continue existing projects are designated. <br /> 2. Designations for funding of planned projects in a future period to reduce the financial <br /> demands placed upon a subsequent budget. <br /> Internal Service Funds — Dental Insurance Fund - total net assets shall maintain a positive <br /> balance to illustrate the internal nature of recovery fees for services performed in self-insuring <br /> employees of the County. Additionally, the net assets of the fund will demonstrate adequate <br /> funding for incurred, but not reported claims. <br />