Reference no: EM133738580
Assignment: Accounting Budgeting and Miami Dade County
Below is a chosen set of financial indicators used to assess the financial condition of local governments in Florida by the Auditor General. Using the EXCEL template, assess the financial condition of Miami-Dade County using the four financial indicators for the past five years and answer the following questions. Note that "Benchmarks" indicate the average value of the specific indicator of counties with similar population size and taxable value with Miami-Dade County.
Financial Indicators Formula Warning Trend
Cash ratio Cash and Investments / Current liabilities Decreasing trend may indicate that the local government has overextended itself in the long run or may be having difficulty raising the cash needed to meet its current needs
Fund balance ratio Unassigned and Assigned FB / Total Expenditures Decreasing trend may indicate unstructured budgets that could lead to future budgetary problems for the local government even if the current fund balance is positive.
Operating ratio Excess Revenue Over (Under) Expenditures / Total Revenues Decreasing surpluses or increasing deficits may indicate that current revenues are not supporting current expenditures
Long-term debt per capita Long-term debt / Population Increasing trend may indicate that the local government has a decreasing level of flexibility in how resources are allocated or decreasing ability to pay its long-term debt.
1) Calculate the financial indicators on the EXCEL template so that you complete the four graphs. Copy and paste the graphs here.
2) Assess the historical trend for each indicator and compare it against the benchmark. Is Miami-Dade County under a favorable trend? Is the county financially healthier than its peers?
3) If you have identified warning trends, the next question is what to do about it.
The list below identifies possible financial strategies. Based on your analysis above, which strategy would you recommend to the county for what reasons? Choose at least two strategies and explain how those strategies can improve financial condition.
1) Shift resources to safe investments
2) Invest in capital equipment, facilities
3) Invest in revenue-generating programs, services
4) Restructure/Refinance long-term liabilities
5) Cut expenditures
6) Outsource key public services
7) Short-term borrowing to smooth cash-flow
8) Sell or lease capital assets