5.1. ERMUSR 05-08-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Management's Discussion and Analysis This section of the Elk River Municipal Utilities (the Utilities) annual financial report presents our analysis of the Utilities' financial performance during [he fiscal year that ended December 31, 201 I. Please read it in conjunction with the financial statements, which follow this section. FINANCIAL HICHLIGHTS • The assets of the Utilities exceeded its liabilities at the close of the most recent fiscal year by $49,213,893 (net assets). Net Assets increased by $1,630,809 or 3 percent. • The Utilities' cash balance at the close of the current fiscal year was $ 11,724,470. • Electric usage was up an average of 5 percent. Residential usage remained constant, while Commercial usage and Industrial usage were up 7 percent. • Water usage, however was down an average of 5 percent. Residential usage was down 5 percent, and Commercial usage was down A percent. OVERVIEW OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS This annual report consists of three parts; Management's Discussion and Analysis, Financial Statements, and Supplementary Information. The Financial Statements also include notes that explain in more detail some of the information in the financial statements. REQUIRED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The financial statements of the Utilities report information about [he Utilities using accounting methods similar to those used by private sector companies. These statements offer short-term and long-term financial information about its activities. The Statements of Ne[ Assets includes all of the Utilities' assets and liabilities and provides information about the nature and amounts of investments in resources (assets) and the obligations [o Utilities' creditors (liabilities). It also provides the basis for computing rate of return, evaluating [he capital structure of the Utilities and assessing the liquidity and financial flexibility of the Utilities. All of the current year's revenues and expenses are accounted for in the Statements of Revenues, Expenses and Changes in Net Assets. This statement measures the success of the Utilities' operations over the past year and can be used to determine whether the Utilities' has successfully recovered all its costs through its user fees and other charges, profitability, and credit worthiness. The final required financial statement is the Statements of Cash Flows. The primary purpose of this statement is to provide information about the Utilities' cash receipts and cash payments during the reporting period. The statement reports cash receipts, cash payments and net changes in cash resulting from operations, investing and financing activities and provides answers to such questions as where did cash come from, what was cash used for and what was the change in the cash balance during the reporting period. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF THE UTILITIES Our analysis of the Utilities begins on page 20 in [he Financial Section. One of [he most important questions asked about the Utilities' finances is `9s the Utilities as a whole better off or worse off as a result of this year's activities?" The Statements of Net Asset, and the Statements of Revenues, Expenses and Changes in Net Assets report information about the Utilities' activities in a way that will help answer this question. These two statements report the net assets of the Utilities and changes in these net assets. You can think of the Utilities' net assets (the difference between assets and liabilities) as one way to measure financial health or financial position. Over time, increases or decreases in the Utilities' net assets are one indicator of whether its financial health is improving or deteriorating. However, you will need [o consider other non-financial factors such as changes in economic conditions, population growth, zoning, and new or changed government legislation. 13