Budget Documents

Click on the Financial Statements links below to view copies of the Metro Parks budget, audits, annual financial reports and monthly financial reports.

Basis of Accounting

Metro Parks currently reports its financial information on a cash basis of accounting. The cash basis of accounting recognizes income when received in cash rather than when earned, and disbursements are recognized when paid rather than when a liability is incurred.

Metro Parks audited financial statements are prepared on the accrual basis of accounting. The accrual basis of accounting recognizes income when it is earned as oppose to when it is received and liabilities are recognized when they are incurred as opposed to when they are paid.

Fund Accounting

Governmental accounting systems are organized and operated on a fund basis. A fund is defined as a fiscal and accounting entity with a self-balancing set of accounts recording cash and other resources, together with all related liabilities and residual balances, which are segregated for the purpose of carrying on specific activities or attaining certain objectives.

Separate funds are established to segregate money whose use is limited to a particular purpose either by State statute or by the resource provider. The category “governmental funds” is used to describe those funds operated using general revenues. “Proprietary or enterprise funds” are those funds which rely on direct charges to customers. A third category entitled “fiduciary funds” is used to describe those funds for which the Park Commissioners must exercise a special degree of care because the money is set aside for a designated purpose.

Park District Fund Types

  1. Governmental Funds 
    General Fund (for Operations and Maintenance)
    This fund is designated for the purposes of operating and maintaining the parks and administrative functions of the Park District. Its primary revenue sources are the Property Taxes and Local Government Fund (LGF).
    Capital Fund (for Capital Improvements and Land Acquisition)
    This fund provides for land acquisition and permanent improvements to the parks and land acquisition. Property tax proceeds are this funds primary source revenue, and are supplemented with grants.

  2. Proprietary Funds
    Enterprise Fund     (for Business Operations)
    Metro Parks operates its golf course as an proprietary. This means the golf course is operated like a private business and attempts to be self-sustaining.

  3. Fiduciary Funds 
    Metro Parks has five fiduciary funds and they were established based on donations made by private individuals and or funds received by the park district for special purposes. Currently the fiduciary funds purposes are for: nature education, capital projects at the Inniswood Metro Gardens, and maintenance at the Beck Forest Preserve.

Revenue

Metro Parks receives 86 percent of its revenue from a 0.75 mill property tax levy and from Local Government Funds. A mill is one tenth of a cent. This translates to $1 for each $1,000 taxable value of the property. The taxable value is 35 percent of the fair market value, which is determined by the County Auditor’s Office. For Metro Parks this means a property owner pays 0.75 for each $1,000 taxable value of their property.

Local Government Funds are the result of the state legislature adopting property tax credits. The state reimburses local governments for a portion of the losses due to tax credits through the Local Government Funds (ORC 323.151). The legislature is planning additional reductions in Local Government Funds.