Meeting Agenda
Department of Financial Services
Chart of Accounts Project
Meeting Name: DFS Chart of Accounts Project
Meeting Group: Treasure Coast Chapter – Florida Government Finance
Officers Association
Date: October 12, 2012
Time: 1:15 pm
Location: Port St. Lucie, Florida
Requestor:
Agenda:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
Introductions
Review of Section 215.89, Florida Statutes
Summary of Activities-to-Date
Review of Current DRAFT Chart of Accounts
Unresolved Issues
Next Steps
Questions and Answers
Contact Information
Minutes:
Attendees: There were 38 attendees, which included 20 county employees, 11 city employees,
and 7 others (Not-for-Profits and Asset Management companies).
Discussion: The Department of Financial Services (DFS) was invited to give a presentation on
the Chart of Accounts project to the Treasure Coast Chapter of the Florida Government Finance
Officers Association (FGFOA). Elwood McElhaney represented DFS at the meeting.
The presentation covered a review of the law, the progress to-date, and our future plans. The
Draft Chart of Accounts was presented, followed by discussion on how it was developed and
how it relates to the current reporting structure that is used by the Local Government Section.
Mr. McElhaney announced the formation and membership of the Statewide Chart of Accounts
Advisory Workgroup, which will advise DFS in the development of the Chart of Accounts. Mr.
Jeffrey Smith, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Indian River County, is a member of that Workgroup,
and was in attendance. DFS hopes to have a draft Chart of Accounts completed by February 28,
2013, and to conduct meetings at strategic locations throughout the State to present it to the
public and receive comments.
The final draft will be released for public comments by July 1, 2013, and comments will be
received through November 1, 2013. DFS hopes to identify and address most of the public
concerns through the public meetings in the Spring. The final recommended Chart of Accounts
and an estimate of the costs to implement it are due to the Governor and Legislature by
January 15, 2014.
Those in attendance were primarily from local governmental units, and appear to have their
existing accounting records set up to report using the existing Local Government Section’s Chart
of Accounts. They strongly recommended that it be adopted as a statewide standard. Mr.
McElhaney reminded them that the School Boards, Colleges, Universities, and State agencies do
not use that Chart of Accounts, so it would not necessarily work for those entities. DFS hopes to
develop a Chart of Accounts that is compatible with the Local Government Chart of Accounts so
that those using that Chart can readily map their data to the Statewide Chart of Accounts.
There were suggestions to develop separate Charts of Accounts for each individual reporting
group. Mr. McElhaney replied that this is allowable under the law, but the DFS will attempt to
develop a single Statewide Chart of Accounts that all reporting groups can use. Separate Charts
is allowable but not the preferred solution.
The presentation ended at approximately 3:30 pm.
 MEETING
AGENDA
◦ Introductions
◦ Review of Section 215.89, Florida Statutes
◦ Summary of Activities to Date
◦ Review of Current DRAFT
◦ Unresolved Issues
◦ Next Steps
◦ Questions & Answers
◦ Contact Information

SECTION 1. Section 215.89, Florida Statutes, is created to read:
215.89 Charts of account.—
(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—It is the intent of the Legislature that a
mechanism be provided for obtaining detailed, uniform reporting of
government financial information to enable citizens to view
compatible information on the use of public funds by governmental
entities. The Legislature intends that uniform reporting requirements
be developed specifically to promote accountability and transparency
in the use of public funds. In order to accommodate the different
financial management systems currently in use, separate charts of
account may be used as long as the financial information is captured
and reported consistently and is compatible with any reporting
entity.
(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Charts of account” means a compilation of uniform data codes that are to be used for
reporting governmental assets, liabilities, equities, revenues, and expenditures to the Chief
Financial Officer. Uniform data codes shall capture specific details of the assets, liabilities, equities,
revenues, and expenditures that are of interest to the public.
(b) “State agency” means an official, officer, commission, board, authority, council, committee, or
department of the executive branch; a state attorney, public defender, criminal conflict and civil
regional counsel, or capital collateral regional counsel; the Florida Clerks of Court Operations
Corporation; the Justice Administrative Commission; the Florida Housing Finance Corporation; the
Florida Public Service Commission; the State Board of Administration; the Supreme Court or a
district court of appeal, circuit court, or county court; or the Judicial Qualifications Commission.
(c) “Local government” means a municipality, county, water management district, special district,
or any other entity created by a local government.
(d) “Educational entity” means a school district or an entity created by a school district.
(e) “Entity of higher education” means a state university, a state or Florida College System
institution, or an entity created by a state university or state or Florida College System institution.
(f) “State and local government financial information” means the assets, liabilities, equities,
revenues, and expenditure information that is recorded in financial management systems of state
agencies, local governments, educational entities, and entities of higher education.
(3) REPORTING STRUCTURE.—
(a) Beginning October 1, 2011, the Chief Financial Officer shall conduct workshops
with state agencies, local governments, educational entities, and entities of higher
education to gather information pertaining to uniform statewide reporting
requirements to be used to develop charts of account by the Chief Financial Officer. A
draft proposed charts of account shall be provided by July 1, 2013, to the state
agencies, local governments, educational entities, and entities of higher education.
(b) The Chief Financial Officer shall accept comments from state agencies, local
governments, educational entities, entities of higher education, and other interested
parties regarding the proposed charts of account until November 1, 2013.
(c) By January 15, 2014, the Chief Financial Officer, after consultation with affected
state agencies, local governments, educational entities, entities of higher education,
and the Auditor General, shall submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report recommending a uniform charts
of account which requires specific enterprise-wide information related to revenues and
expenditures of state agencies, local governments, educational entities, and entities of
higher education. The report must include the estimated cost of adopting and
implementing a uniform enterprise-wide charts of account.
Section 2. The Legislature finds that this act fulfills an
important state interest.
Section 3.
This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.
Approved by the Governor May 26, 2011
Filed in Office Secretary of State May 26, 2011
o
Meetings with:
District School Board CFOs
College Business Officers
University Comptrollers
Tallahassee Chapter of the AGA
Numerous FGFOA local chapters
Legislative Staff
o
o
Reviewed CAFRs and audit reports of covered agencies.
Project web site www.myfloridacfo.com/aadir
o
Chart of Accounts Advisory Group
o University System – Michael Williams
o Colleges – Richard Becker – Palm Beach State College
o School Boards – Merrill Wimberley – Leon DSB
o County Clerks – Jeffrey Smith – Clerk of Circuit Court
– Indian River County
o Sarasota Co. Tax Collector’s Office – Joe Garofalo
o Cities – Rob Garner – Government Consulting
Services Company
o DFS Local Government – Justin Young
o
Draft of Chart of Accounts
Development
oJune 15, 2012 Draft based on CAFR
reviews
oNew September 15, 2012 Draft based on
existing Local Government Chart of
Accounts
o
Review and Discussion of latest Draft
of Chart of Accounts
o
Unresolved Issues
oLevel of Reporting
o By Fund
o By Organizational Level
oTiming of Reporting
oDefinition of ‘Other Entities’
oAll Accounts vs. Nominal Accounts
 Next
Steps
◦ Workgroup meetings in the Fall
◦ Public workshops in Spring 2013
◦ Resolve as many issues as possible
◦ Expose Chart of Accounts 7-1-2013
◦ Develop Cost Estimates
 Questions
and Answers
Contact Information:
Elwood McElhaney, CPA
Application Design and Support Process Manager
Division of Accounting and Auditing
304 Fletcher Building
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0353
850-413-5503
Elwood.McElhaney@myfloridacfo.com