Staff Report dated June 27, 2023: View Royal Park Stormwater Management Construction Award

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Year ended December 31, 2022

The Town of View Royal (the "Town") was incorporated on December 5, 1988 by letters patent issued by the Province of British Columbia. Its principal activities are the provision and coordination of local government services to residents of the incorporated area. These services include general government administration, bylaw enforcement, planning and development services, building inspection, fire protection and emergency response planning, public transportation, parks and recreation, solid waste collection and disposal, sewer collection and disposal, and street lighting.

1. Significant accounting policies

a) Principles of consolidation

The Town follows Canadian public sector accounting standards. The consolidated financial statements of the Town are prepared in accordance with the recommendations of the Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB).

b) Reporting entity

The consolidated financial statements reflect the combined assets, liabilities, accumulated surplus, revenue and expense of all of the Town's activities and funds. The consolidated financial statements also include the Town's proportionate share of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society (West Shore). Interfund transactions and fund balances have been eliminated on consolidation.

c) Basis of accounting

The Town follows the accrual method of accounting for revenue and expense. Revenue is normally recognized in the year in which it is earned and measurable. Expense is recognized as it is incurred and measurable as a result of receipt of goods or services and/or the creation of a legal obligation to pay. Expense paid in the current period and attributable to a future period is recorded as prepaid expense.

d) Property tax revenue

Property tax revenue is recognized at the date property tax notices are issued, based on property assessment values issued by BC Assessment for the current year and tax rates established annually by bylaw. Assessments are subject to appeal and tax adjustments are recorded when the results of appeals are known.

e) Government transfers

Government transfers are recognized as revenue in the period the transfers are authorized and any eligibility criteria have been met, except to the extent that transfer stipulations give rise to an obligation that meets the definition of a liability. Transfers are recognized as deferred revenue when transfer stipulations give rise to a liability and recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Operations as revenue as the stipulation liabilities are settled.

f) Deferred revenue

Deferred revenue includes grants, contributions and other amounts received from third parties pursuant to legislation, regulation and agreement which may only be used in certain programs, in the completion of specific work, or for the purchase of tangible capital assets. In addition, certain user charges and fees are collected for which the related services have yet to be performed. Revenue is recognized in the period when the related expenses are incurred, services performed, or the tangible capital assets are acquired.

Development cost charges are amounts which are restricted by government legislation or agreement with external parties. When qualifying expenses are incurred development cost charges are recognized as revenue in amounts which equal the associated expenses.

g) Investment income

Investment income is reported as revenue in the period earned. When required by the funding entity or related legislation, investment income earned on deferred revenue is added to the deferred revenue balance.

h) Cash equivalents

Cash equivalents are comprised primarily of Municipal Finance Authority (MFA) pooled investments including money market, intermediate and bond funds. Town funds invested with MFA are pooled with other local governments and are professionally managed and objectively benchmarked by large, secure financial services organizations.

i) Deposits

Receipts restricted by third parties are deferred and reported as deposits and are refundable under certain circumstances. Deposits that are prepayments are recognized as revenue when qualifying expenditures are incurred.

j) Employee benefits and retirement obligations

The Town and its employees make contributions to the Municipal Pension Plan. The Town’s contributions are expensed as incurred and are included within the Consolidated Statement of Operations.

Sick leave and other retirement benefits are also available to the Town’s employees. The costs of these benefits are actuarially determined based on service and best estimates of retirement ages and expected future salary and wage increases. The obligations under these benefit plans are accrued based on projected benefits as the employees render services necessary to earn the future benefits.

k) Non-financial assets

Non-financial assets are not available to discharge existing liabilities and are held for use in the provision of services. They have useful lives extending beyond the current year and are not intended for sale in the ordinary course of operations.

i) Tangible capital assets

Tangible capital assets are recorded at cost, net of disposals, write-downs and amortization. The cost of tangible capital assets includes all amounts that are directly attributable to acquisition, construction, development or betterment of the asset. The cost less residual value of the tangible capital assets, excluding land, is amortized on a straight line basis over the estimated useful life as follows:

Amortization is calculated monthly, including in the year of acquisition and disposal. Assets under construction are not amortized until the asset is available for productive use.

Tangible capital assets are written down when conditions indicate that they no longer contribute to the Town's ability to provide goods and services, or when the value of future economic benefits associated with the asset is less than the book value of the asset.

ii) Contributions of tangible capital assets

Tangible capital assets received as contributions are recorded at their fair value at the date of receipt, with the value of the contribution recorded as revenue.

iii) Works of art and cultural and historical treasures

The Town manages and controls various works of art and non-operational historical cultural assets including buildings, artifacts, paintings and sculptures located at Town sites and public display areas. These assets are not recorded as tangible capital assets and are not amortized due to the subjectivity of their value.

iv) Interest capitalization

The Town does not capitalize interest costs associated with the acquisition or construction of a tangible capital asset.

v) Leased tangible capital assets

Leases which transfer substantially all of the benefits and risks incidental to ownership of property are accounted for as leased tangible capital assets. All other leases are accounted for as operating leases and the related payments are charged to expenses as incurred.

vi) Inventory of supplies

Inventory is recorded at the lower of cost and replacement cost.

l) Use of estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the period. Significant estimates include assumptions used in estimating provisions for accrued liabilities, performing calculations of employee future benefits, sick benefits liability, collectability of accounts receivable, amortization of capital assets, determination of liability for contaminated sites, deferred charges and provisions for contingencies. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Adjustments, if any, will be reflected in operations in the period of settlement.

m) Recent accounting pronouncements

PS 3280 Asset Retirement Obligations, issued August 2018, establishes standards for recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of legal obligation associated with the retirement of tangible capital assets and is effective for the Town as of January 1, 2023. A liability will be recognized when, as at the financial reporting date:

a. There is a legal obligation to incur retirement costs in relation to a tangible capital asset; b. The past transaction or event giving rise to the liability has occurred; c. It is expected that future economic benefits will be given up; and d. A reasonable estimate of the amount can be made.

Liabilities are recognized for statutory, contractual or legal obligations associated with the retirement of tangible capital assets when those obligations result from the acquisition, construction, development or normal operation of the assets. The obligations are measured initially at fair value, determined using present value methodology, and the resulting costs capitalized into the carrying amount of the related tangible capital asset. In subsequent periods, the liability is adjusted for accretion and any changes in the amount or timing of the underlying future cash flows. The capitalized asset retirement cost is amortized on the same basis as the related asset and accretion expense is included in the Statement of Operations.

Management is in the process of assessing the impact of adopting this standard on the Town's financial results.

2. Financial instruments

The Town’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, deposits, and long-term debt. The carrying amount of these financial instruments approximates their fair value because they are short-term in nature or because they bear interest at market rates.

Unless otherwise noted, it is management’s opinion that the Town is not exposed to significant interest or credit risks arising from these financial instruments.

3. Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of short-term investments in the MFA money market, ultra short-term, and short-term bond funds and pooled high-interest savings. The market value is equal to the carrying value. Temporary investments have yields ranging from 0.325% to 5.307%.

Included in cash and cash equivalents are the following restricted amounts:

The Town has an operating line of credit with the Toronto Dominion Bank for an authorized amount of $1,000,000, bearing interest at bank prime rate less 0.50% per annum. At December 31, 2022 the balance outstanding was $nil (2021 - $nil).

4. Accounts Receivable

5. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

6. Deferred revenue

7. Long-term debt

a) Debt outstanding

b) Debenture debt

The loan agreements with the Capital Regional District and the MFA provide that if, at any time, the scheduled payments provided for in the agreements are not sufficient to meet the MFA’s obligations in respect of such borrowings, the resulting deficiency becomes a liability of the Town.

The Town issues its debt instruments through the MFA. Debt is issued on a sinking fund basis, where the MFA invests the Town’s sinking fund principal payments so that the payments, plus investment income, will equal the original outstanding debt amount at the end of the repayment period. Actuarial adjustments on debt represent the repayment and/or forgiveness of debt by the MFA using surplus investment income generated by the principal repayments.

Principal payments on long term debt for the next five years are as follows:

c) Interest expense

Total interest expense during the year was $217,112 (2021 - $251,094).

8. Employee benefit and retirement obligations

Employee benefit obligations represent accrued benefits as follows:

Accrued vacation is the amount of unused vacation entitlement carried forward into the next year. Accrued sick leave is the estimated liability for sick leave for all employees. Sick leave entitlements can only be used while employed by the Town and are not paid out upon retirement or termination of employment. The accrued sick leave actuarial valuation was estimated as at December 31, 2022.

Information about liabilities for accrued sick leave is as follows:

The accrued benefit liability is included as part of employee benefit obligations on the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position. The actuarial gain is amortized over a period equal to the employees’ average remaining service lifetime of 11 years.

The significant actuarial assumptions adopted in measuring the Town’s accrued benefit obligations are as follows:

Municipal Pension Plan

The Town and its employees contribute to the Municipal Pension Plan (a jointly trusteed pension plan). The board of trustees, representing plan members and employers, is responsible for administering the plan, including investment of assets and administration of benefits. The plan is a multi-employer defined benefit pension plan. Basic pension benefits provided are based on a formula. As at December 31, 2021, the plan has about 227,000 active members and approximately 118,000 retired members. Active members include approximately 42,000 contributors from local governments.

Every three years, an actuarial valuation is performed to assess the financial position of the plan and adequacy of plan funding. The actuary determines an appropriate combined employer and member contribution rate to fund the plan. The actuary’s calculated contribution rate is based on the entry-age normal cost method, which produces the long-term rate of member and employer contributions sufficient to provide benefits for average future entrants to the plan. This rate may be adjusted for the amortization of any actuarial funding surplus and will be adjusted for the amortization of any unfunded actuarial liability.

The most recent actuarial valuation for the Municipal Pension Plan as at December 31, 2021, indicated a $3,761 million funding surplus for basic pension benefits on a going concern basis.

The Town paid $291,454 (2021 - $299,565) for employer contributions while Town employees contributed $252,474 (2021 - $251,918) to the plan in fiscal 2022.

The next valuation will be as at December 31, 2024 with results available in 2025.

Employers participating in the plan record their pension expense as the amount of employer contributions made during the fiscal year (defined contribution pension plan accounting). This is because the plan records accrued liabilities and accrued assets for the plan in aggregate, resulting in no consistent and reliable basis for allocating the obligation, assets and cost to the individual employers participating in the plan.

9. Tangible capital assets

a) Assets under construction and completed assets not yet in service

Assets under construction totaling $863,753 (2021 - $277,810) have not been amortized. Amortization of these assets will commence when the asset is put into service.

b) Contributed tangible capital assets

Contributed tangible capital assets have been recognized at fair market value at the date of contribution. The value of contributed capital assets received during the year is $466,779 (2021 - $1,342,270).

c) Gain or loss on disposal of tangible capital assets

During the year, the Town recognized a net loss of $5,473,983 on disposal of tangible capital assets. (2021 - $433,244 gain). This amount is included as gain (loss) of revenue on the Consolidated Statement of Operations.

d) Write down of tangible capital assets

The write down of tangible capital assets during the year was $nil (2021 - $21,344).

10. Accumulated surplus

Accumulated surplus consists of individual fund surplus and reserve funds as follows:

11. Community Works Fund

Community Works Fund is a component of the Gas Tax Agreement funding provided by the Government of Canada and administered through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM). Community Works Fund transfers are recorded as revenue when received, then held as reserves until spent on eligible expenditures.