Do The District’s Central Service Charges Represent Payment For Necessary And Reasonably Priced Services That Staff And Past/Current Boards Have Represented/Represent? Or Do They Simply Cover The Financial Shortfall Caused by Out-of-Control Overspending?
As we’ve elsewhere discussed, central services represent
The “core services almost all (governments require in order)…to support their operations and mission provided by a central service provider.”1
And in Nevada, the costs associated with those services are limited to
“Only (an) enterprise fund’s2 equitable share of”3 “necessary and reasonable”4 “indirect costs”5 “for the proper and efficient administration and performance of the enterprise fund(s)”6 from which transfers are to be made. Which “may include costs for services and property that are payable from the general fund or any internal service funds or other funds2 of the local government”7 but “must be limited to indirect costs for services and property provided by the local government on a centralized basis, which may include, without limitation, general administrative costs, planning costs, budgeting costs, payroll costs, legal costs, legislative costs, and costs for general ledger accounting, internal audits, the administration of accounts payable, human resources, general services, emergency services, public relations, public works, property management, building and grounds maintenance, procurement and contracts, grants management, risk management, a motor pool, road maintenance, water and sewer service, telecommunications, automatic data processing services, printing, maintaining a library, records maintenance, storage and warehousing, and animal control.”8
Hence the question. Do the District’s allocated central service cost transfers represent an equitable allocation of the allegedly necessary and reasonably priced central service costs staff and past/current Boards have represented/currently represent?
The idea of “central services” which the District relies upon for its various transfers to its General Fund is recognized in the “Local Government Budget and Finance Act”9 (“LGBFA”) as a “cost allocation (transfer device) for employees, equipment or other resources related to the purpose of…enterprise fund(s)” for which they are created10. “The extent to which general, overhead, administrative and similar expenses of a local government of a type described in paragraph (c) of subsection 1 (of NRS 354.613) may (legitimately) be allocated to an enterprise fund,” must be determined by those regulations11 which have been adopted by the Committee on Local Government Finance3 (“CLGF”) to assist in their implementation.
Because for purposes of this discussion NRS 354.626(1) makes it unlawful for “the governing body…of a local government12…or (any) member thereof, officer, office, department or agency (to)…willfully…
“Transfer money from an enterprise fund, money collected from fees imposed for the purpose for which an enterprise fund was created or any income or interest earned on money in an enterprise fund (unless)…the…transfer is made…for a cost allocation for employees, equipment or other resources related to the purpose of the enterprise fund which is approved by the governing body under a nonconsent item that is separately listed on the agenda for a regular meeting of the governing body,”13
Here we examine whether the District’s purported allocated central service cost transfers comply with the NRS. And for the reasons which follow, we conclude they do not!
What These Transfers Really Are: At first blush NRS 354.613(1)(c) would appear to grant that authority14 given it allows “transfer(s of) money from (a local government’s)…enterprise fund(s).” However, given the District’s non-compliance with the mandates of NAC 354.865 through 354.86715 applicable to all central services cost allocation plans (discussed below), we assert these transfers are really based upon no authority whatsoever! In point of fact, just like the Recreation Facility Fee (“RFF”) is to the District’s Community Services Fund16, and the Beach Facility Fee (“BFF”) is to the District’s Beach Fund16, we believe the District’s central service cost transfers represent nothing more than a financial “subsidy” which pays for the financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending assigned to the District’s General Fund. In fact as the reader will discover, it actually pays for more! That would be the accumulation of unrestricted reserves (i.e., a “slush fund”) available for future Boards’ unidentified, unbudgeted, and unappropriated “pet projects.”
We ask the reader consider the following:
NRS 354.613(1)(c): As we’ve elsewhere discussed, General Fund expenses which can permissibly be incorporated into a NRS 354.613(1)(c) central services cost allocation plan17 must:
“(a) Make…an equitable distribution of all general, overhead, administrative and similar expenses of the local government among all activities of the local government among all activities of the local government, including the activities funded by the enterprise fund;” and,
“(b) Only the enterprise fund’s equitable share of those expenses may be treated as expenses of the enterprise fund and allocated to it pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection 1.”18
NAC 354.865–354.867 Regulations: Because NRS 354.613(8) instructs that
“For the purposes of paragraph (c) of subsection 119 (of NRS 354.613) the Committee on Local Government Finance (“CLGF”) shall adopt regulations setting forth the extent to which general, overhead, administrative and similar expenses of a local government of a type described in paragraph (c) of subsection 1 may be allocated to an enterprise fund,”
The CLGF has adopted regulations20 pertaining to central service cost allocation plans17. Those regulations apply to
Every local government7
“1. That…ha(s)…enterprise funds; or,
2. To which subsection 1 of NRS 354.613 appl(ies).”21
Given IVGID is a GID22 that has enterprise funds23, those regulations apply to IVGID.
With the foregoing in mind, and because NAC 354.867(1)(b) instructs that
“The costs which may be allocated to an enterprise fund of a local government pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection 1 of NRS 354.613 must be…consistent with policies, regulations and procedures that apply uniformly to the enterprise fund and other activities of the local government,”
All of the District’s legitimate central service costs must be allocated equitably and applied uniformly amongst all of its activities.
Although IVGID staff matter-of-factly tell us the District has adopted a central service cost allocation plan17 pursuant to NAC 354.8668 which “equitably distribute(s) general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds,”24 they fail to share the express NAC 354.8668(5)(b) and 354.867 factors upon which those distributions may legitimately be allocated25, and arguably have been allocated. So let us “be the one(s)”26 to “pull back (IVGID’s) veil of secrecy.”27
The Factors Upon Which Central Service Costs May be Allocated: Expenses assigned to the District’s General Fund must:
1. Be “reasonable;”28
2. “Provide…for an equitable distribution of all general, overhead, administrative and similar costs of the local government;”29
3. Be “of a type generally recognized as ordinary and necessary for the operation of the…fund(s)”30 from which transfers are proposed to be made;
4. Be “necessary…for the proper and efficient administration and performance of th(os)e…fund(s);”31
5. Be properly “assignable or chargeable to the cost objective(s) of th(os)e…fund(s)”32 from which transfers are proposed to be made;
6. “Be limited to indirect costs for services and property provided by the local government on a centralized basis;”33
7. Be “determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles”34 (“GAAP”);
8. Not exceed “market prices for comparable services or property;”35
9. Be “consistent with sound business practices;”36
10. Be an “indicia of an arm’s length transaction;”37
11. Be “documented adequately for independent verification;”38 and,
12. Demonstrate that staff have “acted with prudence under the circumstances considering their responsibilities to each pertinent governmental unit (they have assessed)…its employees, and…(we) the general public.”39
The Factors Incorporated Into The District‘s Updated40 Central Service Cost Allocation Plan(s): Okay. So now that we know what factors are required to be included in a local government’s central service cost allocation plan17, let’s examine what exactly has actually been incorporated:
From Inception Until Fiscal Year 2022-2341:
1. “Eligible costs…(we)re based on the final (rather than tentative) General Fund budgets for Accounting…and Human Resources…These costs (we)re then, in turn, (allegedly) allocated to all District Funds/Departments/Divisions as follows:
2. Eighty percent (80%) of the eligible costs of the Accounting budget (were) allocated based on each Fund’s/Department’s/Division’s/Activity’s percentage of District-wide budgeted non-personnel costs exclusive of capital, debt and transfers….
3. One-hundred percent (100%) of (the) costs of the Human Resources budget plus (the remaining) twenty percent (20%) of the eligible costs of the Accounting budget…(were) allocated based on each Fund’s/Department’s/Division’s/Activity’s average percentage of District-wide full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, wages and benefits.
4. The combined amounts of Central Services Overhead costs…represent(ed) the amounts budgeted as Central Services Overhead costs within each Fund’s/Department’s budget…(and,)
5. The total of the amount of Central Services Overhead charged to all applicable budgetary units for the accounting period w(ere) also…recorded in the General Fund as a credit to expenditures within the Accounting…and Human Resources…budgets, reflective of each activities’ share of recovered costs.”
A Summary of The History of These Allocations: from inception of IVGID’s central service cost allocations through FY 2022:
| Year | Revenues | Expenses | Deficiency | Central Services Cost Transfers | Excess (Deficient) Transfers | Fund Balance |
| 201142 | $ 615,77543 | |||||
| 201244 | $ 2,458,945 | $ 3,164,826 | $ 705,880 | $ 1,074,000 | $ 368,120 | $ 983,893 |
| 201345 | $ 2,547,137 | $ 3,648,330 | $ 1,101,193 | $ 1,000,200 | ($ 100,99346) | $ 886,664 |
| 201447 | $ 2,618,192 | $ 3,196,367 | $ 578,175 | $ 1,068,996 | $ 490,821 | $ 1,391,021 |
| 201548 | $ 2,793,122 | $ 3,783,856 | $ 990,734 | $ 1,101,000 | $ 110,266 | $ 1,501,287 |
| 201649 | $ 3,035,284 | $ 3,589,578 | $ 554,294 | $ 1,123,020 | $ 568,70650 | $ 1,819,993 |
| 201751 | $ 3,017,165 | $ 3,752,192 | $ 735,027 | $ 1,177,200 | $ 442,17352 | $ 1,862,249 |
| 201853 | $ 3,266,537 | $ 3,700,016 | $ 433,479 | $ 1,094,000 | $ 660,52154 | $ 2,522,786 |
| 201955 | $ 3,653,450 | $ 4,054,406 | $ 400,956 | $ 1,169,400 | $ 768,44456 | $ 3,765,586 |
| 202057 | $ 3,876,422 | $ 4,079,259 | $ 202,837 | $ 1,367,400 | $ 1,164,56358 | $ 4,630,149 |
| 202159 | $ 3,779,698 | $ 4,258,547 | $ 478,849 | $ 1,335,748 | $ 1,100,41160 | $ 5,730,56061 |
| 202262 | $ 3,929,652 | $ 3,741,148 | $ 188,504 | $ 1,538,80763 | $282,70164 | $ 6,013,26165 |
Fund Balance Creep: As the reader can see, “at the end of the (2010-11) fiscal year the District’s General Fund balance66…remained unchanged (as it had been since 2006-07 and pretty much before) at $615,774.”43 Yet as of June 30, 2022, the “unassigned fund balance” (in the District’s General Fund) had unnecessarily31 and in violation of ¶3.0.2 of Board Policy No. 18.1.0 at the time67 mushroomed to a whopping $6,013,26165! In other words, an impermissible $5,397,487 increase over eleven (11) years, or an average increase of nearly $500,000 ($490,681 to be exact) per year for each and every one of those eleven (11) years! We have labeled this phenomena “fund balance creep:”
1. ¶2.0 of Board Policy No. 7.1.068 which instructed that “the policy of the District shall be to maintain a target fund balance within the General Fund equal to 15% of annual budgeted expenditures (less transfers and debt);”
2. ¶3.0.2 of Board Policy No. 18.1.069 which instructed that central services cost “billing(s)…shall be adjusted…(in) June…each year…such that the total charges to the Enterprise Funds, for the fiscal year ending that respective June…do…not exceed the actual allowed incurred costs net of actual applicable credits…In no case can the total billing exceed the total approved with the adoption of the District Annual Operating Budget for that fiscal year;” and,
3. Note 1(S) on page 34 of the District’s 2022-23 CAFR which instructs that “while (central services) charges are estimated based on budgeted expenses, actual charges are based on actual expenditures throughout the year (and) a year-end adjustment may be required to ensure (that) costs charged do not exceed costs incurred for the fiscal year.”
Given 15% of 2021-22 budgeted ($4,135,30370) General Fund expenditures, for example, totaled $620,295, and the General Fund balance stood at a whopping $6,013,26165, this represents 9.69 times the maximum permissible fund balance according to ¶2.0 of Board Policy No. 7.1.0 at the time! In other words, starting in 2011-12 and continuing for the next decade, the District deliberately used central service cost transfers to increase unassigned General Fund balance (rather than keeping it “static”) in order to accumulate a “slush fund” available for future Boards’ unidentified, unbudgeted, and unappropriated pet projects just as we have represented. What staff have described as “funds…set aside to (financially) support future Board-priority capital projects identified in the Beach Master Plan.”71 The phenomena of General “Fund balance creep,” in violation of ¶3.0.2 of Board Policy No. 18.1.0 at the time, is evidence that the real purpose of the District’s annual updates to its central service cost plan is not “to equitably distribute all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
The Failure to Allocate All of The District‘s Central Service Costs Into The Updated40 Plans the District Adopts: Recall that NRS 354.613(8)(a) as well as NAC 354.8668(5) instruct that local governments transferring “mon(ies) from an enterprise fund” are required to adopt updated central service cost allocation plans17 which “make…an equitable distribution of all…of (a) local government(‘s)…general, overhead, administrative and similar expenses.” Not some of those expenses. But all of them72! Yet through and including fiscal year 2021-22, the District’s “so called” plans admittedly distributed only some of those expenses73, as evidenced, in part, in the Utility Fund holiday discussion below. The failure to allocate all of the District’s central service costs represents further evidence that the real purpose of the District’s annual updates to its central service cost plan is not “to equitably distribute all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
The District’s Utility Fund “Holiday:” Instead of allocating all $1,776,154 of allocated central service costs amongst all District activities10 for fiscal year 2022-23 (see discussion below), the Board: allocated none to its Internal Services enterprise Fund74; and, gave the District’s Utility enterprise Fund “a (reprieve)…from paying the General Fund’s central services allocation75 (what it labeled “a holiday) of $445,000.”76 Which amongst other consequences, required the District’s Community Services and Beach enterprise Funds to pay inequitably higher allocations77. The failure to allocate the District’s central service costs amongst all of its departments/divisions represents further evidence that the real purpose of the District’s annual updates to its central service cost plan is not “to equitably distribute all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
The Failure to Make Year–End Adjustments: Moreover, and as aforesaid, ¶3.0.2 of Board Policy No. 18.1.0 instructs that the amount of Central Services Overhead charged out through the District’s allocation plan shall not exceed the actual cost of overhead incurred. For this reason,
Prior to the close of the last accounting period of the fiscal year, the cumulative amount of Central Service Charges posted for the fiscal year is required to be compared to actual expenditures incurred by Accounting and Human Resources activities. And “to the extent…Central Services Overhead costs charged (and recovered) exceed the amount of eligible overhead costs actually expended, an adjustment (sha)ll be included in the June Central Services Overhead charge.”
But this is an adjustment the District never performs. And as can be seen, it certainly was not performed for the ten (10) year period of fiscal years 2011-12 through 2021-22. The failure to make year-end adjustments to the District’s central service cost allocations represents further evidence that the real purpose of the District’s annual updates to its central service cost plan is not “to equitably distribute all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
Circumvention of The Protections of NRS 354.613 by converting the District’s Community Services and Beach Funds From enterprise to special revenue: Assume for the moment your real intent is to use central service cost transfers to plug the shortage between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending. Just as we have represented. Faced with added scrutiny over the “so called” services allegedly furnished to the District’s enterprise funds, and the disingenuous explanations given like those recited elsewhere, why not eliminate the inquiry altogether by making transfers from special revenue rather than enterprise funds? Starting in fiscal year 2015-16, staff convinced the then Board to change the District’s Community Services and Beach Funds from enterprise78 to special revenue79. Accordingly,
“Effective July 1, 2015, with its new fiscal and budget year, the District began utilizing Special Revenue, Capital Projects and Debt Service governmental fund accounting for (its) Community Services…and…Beach Fund(s), which have to date been accounted for as enterprise funds. The District has changed its approach to the pricing of services and in particular recognizes that the use of the facility fee to provide (financial) resources for capital expenditure and debt service (allegedly) cannot be displayed in a readily understandable fashion for its constituents” in enterprise funds.”80
The same transfers which had been going on for decades continued. It’s just that rather than the cost of the necessary, reasonable and equitably allocated central services furnished by the District’s General Fund, they represented just that. Transfers intended to cover the financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending assigned to the District’s General Fund. In our opinion, nothing short of circumventing the protections of NRS 354.613. Because this way District staff no longer had to concern themselves with the validity of transfers. After all, if transfers were made from funds other than enterprise ones, how could they be prohibited or limited by NRS 354.613? In our view this behavior81 represents further evidence that the real purpose of the District’s annual updates to its central service cost plan is not “to equitably distribute all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
The Failure to Convert The District’s Utility Fund From Enterprise to Special Revenue: Let’s assume for purposes of argument that the District’s conversion of its Community Services and Beach Funds was legitimate. And for purposes other than to circumvent the protections of NRS 354.613. Why then wasn’t the District’s Utility Fund converted from enterprise to special revenue? Why was the Utility Fund any different? Because it wasn’t, the District’s failure to convert all of its enterprise funds to special revenue represents further evidence that the real purpose of the District’s annual updates to its central service cost plan is not “to equitably distribute all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
Reversal of The Circumvention: And to further demonstrate that these fund conversions represented the circumvention we have identified, for fiscal year 2021-22 a new IVGID Board took charge and transitioned the District’s Community Services and Beach Fund(s) back to enterprise fund-types82. Because members recognized that staff were using these transfers for purposes other than as represented, returning financial reporting of the District’s Community Services and Beach Funds to enterprise funds represents further evidence that the real purpose of the District’s annual updates to its central service cost plan is not “to equitably distribute all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
Then Look What Happened in Fiscal Year 2022–23: Commencing in 2022-23 the District returned to its very same methodology that existed prior to passage of NRS 354.61383. That was using transfers from one or more of the District’s enterprise funds to its General Fund to cover the financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending84. In order to proffer what would look like a balanced budget85. And then to add insult to injury, from inception, revenues and expenses associated with the District’s public parks and athletic fields have been reported in its “Parks” Fund86, a sub-fund of the District’s Community Services Fund2. Yet starting in fiscal year 2022-23 the Board at the time decided to transfer financial reporting for this sub-fund87 to the District’s General Fund88. But since this transfer in reporting meant there would now be an additional shortage of nearly $1.2 million in the District’s General Fund89, rather than reducing intentional overspending, it would have to be made up somehow and from somewhere. Reverting to its policy of covering recreation financial shortfalls with the RFF/BFF, staff informed the Board and the public that the:
“Preferred (and in essence only) means (wa)s to (create) budget capacity in (the) General Fund” by disingenuously increasing the amount of central service cost transfers.
But since spending assigned to the District’s Community Services and Beach Funds already exceeded revenues, the shortfall was covered by the RFF/BFF, respectively. And any shortage in the Utility Fund was covered by increased water and sewer rates. So if budget capacity in the District’s General Fund had to be created from increased central service cost transfers, it meant that the RFF/BFF as well as water/sewer rates would have to increase90. But the Board at the time refused to go along with staff’s proposal. Instead, the District began invading the excess unrestricted General Fund balance to the tune of $1,330,735108 or more annually!
Fund Balance Plunge: As a result, starting with fiscal year 2022-23, the excess unrestricted fund balance in the District’s General Fund balance began dropping. What we have labeled “fund balance plunge.”
Then Look What Happened in Fiscal Year 2023–24: Given staff continued to refuse to reduce intentional overspending assigned to the District’s General Fund for fiscal year 2023-24, the methodology outlined at ¶2.0.2 of Board Policy No. 18.1.0 was changed91 to accommodate increased central service cost transfers so that
1. “Eighty percent (80%) of Budget and Accounting central overhead costs, net of credit for interest earnings, (we)re…allocated on the basis of Services and Supplies expenses, by fund” (see ¶2.0.2.1);
2. “Human Resources, Payroll and twenty percent (20%) of Budget and Accounting costs (we)re…allocated on the basis of a blended rate of budget(ed) full-time equivalent positions, wages and benefits” (see ¶2.0.2.2); and,
3. “Information Technology – 45% based on the number of revenue transactions, or (if) that number (were) not readily available, then based on total revenue, and 45% based on workstation and point-of-sale counts or, if those (we)re unavailable then based on FTE (full time equivalent employee) headcount” (see ¶2.0.2.3).
This disingenuous change in methodology92 resulted in “add(ing the costs of)…Information Technology to (the District’s) Central Services Overhead Allocation Plan.”93 So that instead of $1,887,58994 of central services costs, we were told a whopping $3,046,19895 would now be required. All because the financial reporting of revenues and expenses associated with the District’s public parks and athletic fields had been transferred to its General Fund. Nonetheless, the Board at the time continued to refuse to go along with staff’s proposed increase. And instead, continued its invasion of excess unrestricted General Fund balance (this time to the tune of $1,984,645111 or more annually)!
Then Look What Happened in Fiscal Year 2024–25: Given staff continued to refuse to reduce intentional overspending assigned to the District’s General Fund, the Board was left with little choice when it came to FY 2024-25 as the General Fund balance had been reduced from $6,013,26165 to $1,300,944108 in just two short years. Meaning it was forced to take two actions. The first was to reverse the prior Board’s decision to financially report “Parks’” revenues and out-of-control overspending in the General Fund. And instead to report them in the District’s Community Services Fund. An act which would immediately reduce overspending in the District’s General Fund by $1.3M or more. So at the Board’s April 9, 2025 meeting it adopted Resolution No. 1912 which effective July 1, 2025, formally returned financial reporting of Parks operations to the District’s Community Services Fund96.
But this wasn’t enough. So the second action was to implement staff’s preferred means for covering its financial shortfalls; increasing the amount of central services cost transfers97. And as a result, central service cost transfers increased to a whopping $3,742,04498! Given the difference between revenues99 and expenses100 totaled $3,258,067, and central service cost transfers totaled $3,742,043101, the District was able to eliminate excess General Fund transfers, and return to its very same methodology that existed after passage of NRS 354.613 in 201271; General Fund Balance Creep.
In our opinion these never ending increases in central service cost transfers represent further evidence that the District’s allocated central services cost plan17 really doesn’t really reflect the “equitabl(e) distribut(ion of) all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of (its various) enterprise funds” as staff and past Boards have represented24. But rather, they represent the financial “plug” or “subsidy” we contend pays for this shortfall.
Then Look What Happen in Fiscal Year 2025–26: Given staff continued to refuse to reduce intentional overspending assigned to the District’s General Fund102, central service cost transfers increased even more to $4,050,400103. And again, the District was able to add an additional $137,876 to its General Fund balance. More evidence that the District’s allocated central services cost plan17 really doesn’t really reflect the “equitabl(e) distribut(ion of) all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of (its various) enterprise funds” as staff and past Boards have represented24. But rather, another example of assessing more than financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending assigned to the District’s General Fund. at the time.
Then Look What Happened in Fiscal Year 2026–27: Because application of District Policy “would provide…very costly amount(s) to the (District’s) various” enterprise funds, the methodology for determining allocated central services costs was adjusted again to accommodate decrease central service cost transfers by modifying Board Policy No. ¶2.0.2.2 to read that “the proportion of the allocation w(ould) be based on budget data in the form of (the following) statistics or amounts…
Eighty percent (80%) of Human Resources payroll and twenty percent (20%) of Budget and Accounting payroll costs (we)re to be allocated on the basis of a blended rate of budget fulltime equivalent positions, wages and benefits” only104 (in other words, services and supplies expenses were removed from the formula).
The stated rationale for this adjustment again supports our conclusion that rather than recouping an “equitabl(e) distribut(ion of) all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…(the) operations of (its various) enterprise funds” as staff and past Boards have represented24, they are intended to cover the financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending assigned to the District’s General Fund.
“As part of the fiscal year 2026-27 budget process, the total costs that would have been included in the central service cost calculation w(ere) greater than $4 million. This figure would provide a very costly amount to the various departments105. (Since) the cost allocation plan is meant to bring the general fund whole106 and maintain operations…the calculation was updated to only include the total payroll costs of the identified departments, information technology, human resources and finance.”107
A Summary of The History of The Application of These Modifications: from fiscal years 2022-23 through 2026-27 is summarized as follows:
| Year | Revenues | Expenses | Deficiency | Central Services Cost Transfers | Excess (Deficient) Transfers | Fund Balance |
| 202262 | $ 6,013,26165 | |||||
| 2023108 | $ 4,269,727 | $ 5,931,616109 | $ 1,661,889 | $ 1,331,154 | ($ 1,330,735) | $ 4,682,526110 |
| 2024111 | $ 4,352,469 | $ 8,293,414112 | $ 3,940,945 | $ 1,956,300 | ($ 1,984,645) | $ 1,300,944113 |
| 2025114 | $ 4,527,142 | $ 7,785,209 | $ 3,258,067 | $ 3,742,043101 | $ 483,976 | $ 1,740,023115 |
| 2026116 | $ 4,512,486 | $ 8,425,470102 | $ 3,912,984 | $4,050,500103 | $ 137,516 | $ 1,877,539 |
| 2027117 | $ 4,886,850 | $ 8,085,360118 | $ 3,148,510 | $ 3,412,800107 | $ 264,290 | $ 2,141,829 |
Overspending Has Exploded! The reader can see from the two spreadsheets above, that although General Fund revenues have remained relatively static over the years, expenses have exploded (especially starting in 2023). And unsurprisingly, so have the amount of central service cost transfers119.
These facts serve as further evidence that the true purpose of the District’s annual updates to its central services cost allocation plan is not “to equitably distribute general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past Boards have represented24. But rather, to serve as a financial “plug” or “subsidy” which pays for the shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending assigned to the District’s General Fund. And more!
Is The District‘s Methodology For Equitably Allocating The Central Service Costs it Allegedly Furnishes to Its Enterprise Funds Too Heavily Dependent Upon FTEs, Their Wages And Benefits? Given NRS 354.613(8) [see above] and NAC 354.8668(5)(a) which instructs that
“The costs which may be allocated to an enterprise fund of a local government pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection 1 of NRS 354.613 must be…necessary and reasonable for the proper and efficient administration and performance of the enterprise fund” to which charges are assessed,
The ultimate question to be answered is whether the District’s updated central services cost plan17 is too heavily dependent upon FTEs and their wages and benefits? Rather than allowing for different types of costs incurred to better match amounts allocated with the drivers of those costs to the activities responsible for paying for them, to “provide…for an equitable distribution of general, overhead, administrative and similar costs of th(is) local government.”121
Nowhere in NRS 354.613, NAC 354.8668, Nor NAC 354.867 is The Public Instructed That a Central Service Cost Plan‘s Allocation Methodology, Founded in Part Upon 80% of a Local Government‘s Department‘s, Division‘s or Activity‘s Budget And Accounting Services And Supplies Expense120, is Equitable:
Nowhere in NRS 354.613, NAC 354.8668, Nor NAC 354.867 is The Public Instructed That a Central Services Cost Plan‘s Allocation Methodology, Founded in Part Upon 20% of a Local Government‘s Department‘s, Division‘s or Activity‘s FTE Budget and Accounting Wage And Benefit Costs, And 100% of Its FTE Human Resources Wage, Benefit And Payroll Costs121, is Equitable:
Moreover, Over Reliance Upon FTEs Which is The Current Earmark of The District‘s Updated Central Service Cost Plan, Results in an Inequitable Allocation: Recall that the District’s recent central services cost allocation plans17, in part, averages each activity’s share of estimated District-wide FTE positions, budgeted wages, employee benefits and payroll costs122. But doesn’t this methodology skew any equitable allocation? To answer this question, we have created the spreadsheet below which reports FTEs by District departments, and their central services cost allocations compared to all costs. In particular, we have highlighted the allocation to the District’s Utility Fund because it consists of the fewest number of FTEs, yet generates some of the highest wages and benefits per employee (remember, these employees are unionized) and expends some of the highest equipment and machinery costs (reported under “Services and Supplies”) in the District. Stated differently, the District’s allocation of per FTE central services costs is so glaringly high insofar as the Utility Fund is concerned, compared to the remainder of District operations, that it begs for the skew in allocation we complain of. Rather it demonstrates the same reasons why Jesse James used to rob banks123.
| Year | Utility FTEs | Percentage All FTEs | General Gov‘t FTEs | Culture & Recreation FTEs | Total FTEs | Total Allocated Central Services Costs | Utility Fund Portion of Allocated Central Services Costs | Utility Fund Percentage of Allocated Central Services Costs |
| 2014124 | 32 | 13.45% | 37 | 167 | 238 | $ 1,068,996125 | $ 291,000126 | 27.22% |
| 2015127 | 32.4 | 13.88% | 35.7 | 165.4 | 233.5 | $ 1,101,000128 | $ 283,000129 | 25.7% |
| 2016130 | 34.5 | 14.34% | 39.8 | 166.3 | 240.6 | $ 1,123,000131 | $ 304,400132 | 27.11% |
| 2017133 | 34.6 | 13.68% | 39.4 | 179 | 253 | $ 1,177,200134 | $ 324,400135 | 27.56% |
| 2018136 | 34.6 | 13.43% | 39.9 | 185.1 | 259.6 | $ 1,094,000137 | $ 297,000138 | 27.15% |
| 2019139 | 34.6 | 12.3% | 41.9 | 193.8 | 270.3 | $ 1,169,400140 | $ 308,600141 | 26.39% |
| 2020142 | 34.2 | 12.4% | 42.4 | 199.1 | 275.7 | $ 1,367,400143 | $ 353,700144 | 25.87% |
| 2021145 | 35.2 | 13.63% | 40.08 | 182.2 | 258.2 | $ 1,335,748146 | $ 356,440147 | 26.7% |
| 2022148 | 37.5 | 13.97% | 40.07 | 190.2 | 268.4 | $ 1,538,807149 | $ 445,092150 | 28.92% |
| 2023151 | 36.2 | 13.81% | 40.1 | 184.7 | 261 | $ 1,331,154152 | $ -1,000,000 | -75.12% |
| 2024153 | 40.2 | 14.84% | 43.4 | 187.3 | 270.9 | $ 2,245,015154 | $ 707,734155 | 31.52% |
| 2025156 | 56.6 | 16.32% | 28.1 | 262.1 | 346.8 | $ 3,742,043157 | $ 1,471,647154 | 39.33% |
| 2026155 | 53.12 | 19.59% | 28.5 | 189.54 | 271.16 | $ 4,050,500156 | $ 2,045,972158 | 50.51% |
| 2027155 | 64.1 | 23.49% | 25.9 | 182.9 | 272.9 | $ 3,412,800156 | $ 1,242,600159 | 36.41% |
Additional Evidence – 23.49% of Total FTEs For FY 2027, Yet 36.41% of All Allegedly Necessarily Incurred and Reasonably Priced18 Central Service Costs? For a Department which consists of very few employees (and not portions of employees), dedicated one-hundred percent (100%) to Public Works functions160, very little employee turnover161, their own dedicated administrative building, with employees dedicated to their own administrative business office functions, and where the mailing and billing of 4,266162 monthly water and/or sewer bills have been outsourced to DataPrint, LLC.
Or For 2025-26, a Total of 19.59% FTEs And an Unbelievable 50.51% of All Allegedly Necessarily Incurred And Reasonably Priced18 Central Service Costs155?
Or For 2024-25, a Total of 16.32% FTEs And an Unbelievable 39.33% of All Allegedly Necessarily Incurred And Reasonably Priced18 Central Service Costs155?
Or For 2023-24, a Total of 14.84% FTEs And an Unbelievable 31.52% of All Allegedly Necessarily Incurred And Reasonably Priced18 Central Services Costs152?
Or For 2022-23, a Total of 13.81% FTEs And an Unbelievable MINUS 75.12% of All Allegedly Necessarily Incurred And Reasonably Priced18 Central Services Costs150? Instead of the Utility Fund paying its equitable share of alleged central service costs, here it realized163 a whopping 75.12% payout164. Plus it avoided paying anywhere from $445,092165 to $707,734166 in allocated central service cost transfers to the General Fund! According to IVGID staff the purpose of this transfer was “to aid in the cost of construction on the Effluent Pipeline” project167. But this is not the truth. According to the IVGID Board, the real reason was to mitigate the impact of otherwise massive water/sewer rate increases.
These facts represent further evidence that the real purpose of the District’s annual updates to its central service cost plan is not “to equitably distribute all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
Then There‘s The Inclusion of Unnecessary And Unreasonable Costs in The District‘s Updated Central Service Cost Allocations: Recall that because NRS 354.613(8)(b) instructs that only a “local government(‘s)…equitable distribution of all general, overhead, administrative and similar expenses…may be allocated to an enterprise fund;” and the personnel costs assigned to the District’s General Fund exceed the tax revenues assigned to that fund; by definition the District’s central service cost transfers represent the only revenue source available to pay for the District’s
“General, overhead, administrative and similar expenses” including “general administrative costs, planning costs, budgeting costs, payroll costs, legal costs, legislative costs, and costs for general ledger accounting, internal audits, the administration of accounts payable, human resources, general services, emergency services, public relations, public works, property management, building and grounds maintenance, procurement and contracts, grants management, risk management, a motor pool, road maintenance, water and sewer service, telecommunications, automatic data processing services, printing, maintaining a library, records maintenance, storage and warehousing, and animal control.”5
This means that if any expenses are assigned to the District’s General Fund other than “general, overhead, administrative and similar” ones, they are impermissible. And here there is a plethora of evidence that over the years, impermissible expenses have been and are currently allocated. For this reason these transfers end up extending to all [rather than “only the enterprise fund’s equitable share of those expenses”168] non-personnel costs assigned to the District’s General Fund including personnel, capital and debt.
As an example, page 114 of the 5/26/2022 Board packet depicts a statement of estimated 2022-23 sources (i.e., revenues) and uses (i.e., expenses) budgeted to the District’s General Fund. $4,117,002 of revenue and $6,773,405 of expenses. Given budgeted personnel costs total $4,279,462, and budgeted capital improvement costs total $633,000, all remaining expenses total $1,860,943. Yet given there were $1,887,589 of budgeted central services cost transfers, it’s clear that the latter ended up paying for all remaining operational expenses, and more. Rather than just those assigned to Accounting and Human Resources.
And there are other examples as well. How about legal fees the District incurs to attend Board and Audit Committee meetings? Or the legal fees the District incurs to defend litigation such as citizen Mark Smith’s public records concealment lawsuit? Or the “Dr. Bill” therapy sessions our prior Board contracted for to get all of our trustees to get along together? Or membership fees in the League of Cities and Chamber of Commerce? Or the expensive accounting and HR software costs we regularly incur? And their annual licensing renewal fees. How about Government Finance Officers Association (“GFOA“) membership and conference attendance fees? And those additional costs to purchase the prestigious GFOA “certificate of excellence” as a propaganda piece we used to include in our Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports (“ACFRs”)? Or the funds necessary to replace ad valorem tax revenues lost by Washoe County’s unilateral offset to pay for court ordered tax refunds due because of the county’s improper assessment methods? Or the fuels management/defensible space services which benefit the entire Incline Village/Crystal Bay community rather than just those whose parcels/dwelling units which are involuntarily assessed?
Moreover, because IVGID is a local government, it is required to comply with a series of LGBFA requirements7 having little if anything to do with the purposes for which its enterprise funds were established169. Since General Fund expenses include all of these governmental expenses, it’s improper to assign any allocation based thereon18. Yet it does!
By paying all of the District’s General Fund overspending, not only do central service cost transfers cover more than the financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and all intentional overspending assigned to the General Fund, they empower staff to compel our enterprise funds to pay far more than their equitable share. And then disingenuously proclaim they have passed a balanced budget170! And because they do, we believe these facts represent further evidence that the real purpose of the District’s annual updates to its central service cost plan is not “to equitably distribute all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
And The Failure to Provide Documentation For Independent Determination And Verification? Once a local government chooses to allocate costs which are marginally, if at all, necessary to those enterprise funds (with restricted revenue sources) which are assessed (such as “executive and legislative costs, it)…should exercise caution and…maintain documentation to show that those charges are equitable and reflect the cost of actual services provided.”171 Precisely what NAC 354.867(1)(d) and 354.8662(2) instruct172! Yet that’s not what IVGID did at the time, nor currently does. Given there’s no documentation which verifies that the District’s updated central service cost allocation plans comply with the mandates of NAC 354.865 through NAC 354.867 (see above) and the attestation requirements of NAC 354.8668(8) [see below], this deficiency represents further evidence the District’s allocated central services cost plan17 really doesn’t really reflect the “equitabl(e) distribut(ion of) all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of (its various) enterprise funds” as staff and past Boards have represented24.
And The Timing of The District‘s Adoption of Its Annual Updated Central Service Cost Allocation Plan(s): also supports the conclusion the District’s updated central service cost allocation plans do not reflect the “equitabl(e) distribut(ion of) all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of (its various) enterprise funds” as staff and past Boards have represented24. NAC 354.8668(7)(a) instructs that
“The central service cost allocation plan of a local government….must be updated173 annually…before…April 15 (of each year. In other words,)…the date on which the local government must submit its tentative budget to the Department of Taxation174.
Yet this never happens. Typically, the District’s updated central service cost allocation plans gets submitted to the Board for approval at the same time its final budget is approval. Thus for 2024-25, the District’s updated central service cost allocation plan was approved by the Board on May 31, 2024175. And for 2025-26, the same thing happened176. So why the delay? If your intent is to use the artifice of a “plan” so you can plug the financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending, don’t you have to know the amount of the shortfall before you start the plugging? Stated differently, if you come up with a central service cost transfer amount before coming up with a budget, don’t you run the risk your central service cost transfer amount won’t be adequate? Since we’ve demonstrated the real intent of the District’s plan is to plug that shortfall, we believe that the timing represents further evidence the District’s updated central service cost allocation plans do not reflect the “equitabl(e) distribut(ion of) all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of (its various) enterprise funds” as staff and past Boards have represented24.
And Staff‘s Refusal to Provide The Signed Attestation Mandated by NAC 354.8668(8): In order to provide assurance to the State and the public that the District’s central services cost allocation plan actually complies with law177, NAC 354.8668(8) mandates its updated plans
“Must include an attestation, signed by the chief financial officer (“CFO”) of the local government or his or her designee, that the (local government’s) central service cost allocation plan complies with the provisions of NAC 354.865 to 354.867, inclusive.”
Yet since the District began adopting updated annual central service cost allocation plans, its CFO has never made the above attestation. Given this failure is criminal178, and jeopardizes the offending party of his/her continued employment with the District, don’t these facts explain why a CFO would not want to make an attestation he/she knew was false? We believe this refusal represents further evidence the District’s updated central service cost allocation plans do not reflect the “equitabl(e) distribut(ion of) all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of (its various) enterprise funds” as staff and past Boards have represented24.
IVGID‘s CFO‘s Admissions The District‘s Central Service Cost Allocations Don‘t Represent an “Equitable Distribution of All General, Overhead, Administrative And Similar Expenses:” On May 27, 2026 the District’s CFO admitted that the purpose of the District’s updated annual central service cost allocation plans is nothing more than covering the financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending assigned to its General Fund. Consider the following:
“The (District’s) central service cost allocation plan provides the (financial) resources to the general fund (to pay) for services to the District as a whole179…(Therefore) as part of the fiscal year 2026-27 budget process, the total costs that would have been included in the central service cost calculation [had all costs been included as NRS 354.613(8)(a) and NAC 354.8668(5)(b) instruct] was greater than $4 million. (But because) this figure would provide a very costly amount to the various departments (to be assessed)…the calculation was updated to only include (a portion of) the total payroll costs of the identified departments…(inasmuch as) the cost allocation plan is meant to bring the general fund whole and maintain operations.”180
This admission represents further evidence the District’s updated central service cost allocation plans do not reflect the “equitabl(e) distribut(ion of) all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of (its various) enterprise funds” as staff and past Boards have represented24.
At least up and until FY 2022-23 staff told the public that “the District…limit(s its)…allocation (to) allowable…Human Resources and Finance/Accounting…administrative overhead costs” only181:
“Eligible costs to be allocated…are based on the final General Fund budgets for Accounting (activity 120)…and Human Resources (activity 150)…Eighty percent (80%) of the eligible costs of the Accounting budget is allocated based on each Fund/Department/Division/Activity’s percentage of District-wide budgeted non-personnel costs, exclusive of capital, debt and transfers. These would include Professional Services, Services and Supplies, Utilities, and Cost of Goods Sold. One-hundred percent (100%) of (the) costs of the Human Resources budget plus twenty percent (20%) of the eligible costs of the Accounting budget are allocated based on each Fund/Department/Division/Activity’s average percentage of District-wide full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, wages and benefits. The combined amounts of Central Services Overhead costs thus allocated to each Department/Division/Activity represent the amounts budgeted as Central Services Overhead costs within each Fund/Department’s budget….The total of the amount of Central Services Overhead charged to all applicable budgetary units for the accounting period (is)…recorded in the General Fund as a credit (against) expenditures within the Accounting (activity 120) and Human Resources (activity 150) budgets, reflective of each activit(y’)s share of recovered costs.”182
IVGID Staff‘ Admission: On May 26, 2022 staff inadvertently admitted what we represent. As detailed above, staff tell the public “the District…limit(s its)…allocation (to) allowable administrative overhead costs to Human Resources and Finance/Accounting expenditures” only183. But as we’ve demonstrated above, in reality those transfers end up extending to all non-personnel costs assigned to the District’s General Fund exclusive of personnel, capital and debt. We contend this admission184 is further evidence the true purpose of the District’s annual update to its central services cost allocation plan is not “to equitably distribute general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as District staff and the Board represent6.
1. What Are General Improvement Districts (“GIDs”)? The first thing the reader needs to understand before answering this query is that IVGID is government185. Not a lesser percentage of government, nor an homeowners’ association, nor merely a “quasi” government186. 100% government!
2. What Are The Purposes For GIDs? The next thing the reader needs to understand before answering this query are the limited purposes for GIDs. Not the many activities IVGID is engaged in, but rather, those limited activities based upon their raison d’être. As we’ve elsewhere documented187, GIDs exist188 “to provide various urban type services (to real property) in…areas where such services (a)re not available and c(an)not or w(ill) not be provided by (their) general-purpose government(s)”189 (here Washoe County). They don’t exist to provide for the health, safety and general welfare of their inhabitants. Or visitors. Like “save Lake Tahoe.” Or provide for a protective forest halo (aka defensible space). Or lobby for or against statewide and federal legislation. Or urge the federal government to get out of the war in Vietnam.
3. What Powers May GIDs Legitimately Exercise? The next thing the reader needs to understand before answering this query are the limited powers GIDs may expressly190 exercise191. For purposes of this discussion, it’s our position GIDs have no power to engage in purely commercial “for profit” (or more aptly “for loss”) business enterprises marketed to the world’s tourists192 rather than “the inhabitants…of (Incline Village, Crystal Bay) and of the State of Nevada.”193
4. IVGID Employs Nearly 1,000 Employees: The next thing the reader needs to understand before answering this query is that IVGID employs far, far more than 271.16 employees194! For some number of years Transparent Nevada used to track the number and particulars of employees hired by all Nevada local governments. And for some number of years IVGID was averaging close to 1,000! In 2019, for instance, the number was 1,012195. IVGID failed to report in 2020 and 2021. And then in 2022 reported 839 employees. However since then, Transparent Nevada has ceased reporting altogether. Nevertheless, the point here is that regardless of what today’s number actually is, it’s a whole lot more than 271.16!
5. The Per FTE Cost For The District‘s Central Services Compared to That Insofar as Each of The District‘s 1,000 or More Employees is Concerned: Where central services costs are founded upon FTEs, the higher the per FTE cost, the greater the central services cost allocation. In other words, another “means: of supercharging a “justified ends” methodology. So what services do IVGID’s HR, Accounting (Finance) and IT Departments actually furnish to each of its Funds, Departments, Divisions, and Activities? Are they “necessary…for the proper and efficient administration and performance of the…fund(s)” from which transfers are budgeted to be made12? Are they reasonably priced10? Let’s begin answering these question by examining our General Fund HR, Finance and IT Departments.
6. HR: What services does HR furnish? Hiring, firing, compensation, benefits, training, recruiting, etc. So don’t these services have to be furnished for all employees, as opposed to just the FTEs the District reports? And when you have a constant flow of seasonal or part time employees who have jobs supporting commercial “for profit” business enterprises, isn’t HR furnishing more services to these employees rather than the District’s relatively static permanent full time employees? And are all of these employees really necessary just to provide water, sewer, and recreation facilities to local parcel owners as opposed to the world’s tourists?
7. Finance: What services does Finance furnish? Transaction processing, invoice payment and monitoring, expense reporting, budgeting, auditing, etc. If you’re operating a number of commercial “for profit” business enterprises, as does IVGID, isn’t Finance furnishing far more services to these businesses than would be the case if IVGID weren’t in the recreation business? And because IVGID is a local government, isn’t it required to comply with a series of unique Local Government Budget and Finance Act196 (“LGBFA”) requirements having little if anything to do with providing water, sewer, and public recreation services to local parcel owners? Like yearly tentative197 and final198 budgets, annual audits199, annual reports of indebtedness200, annual capital improvement plans201, annual reports concerning capital improvements owned, leased or operated202 and indebtedness203, etc? And if so, are these endeavors “of a type generally recognized as ordinary and necessary for the operation of the…fund(s)”11 from which distributions have been allocated? Are they “necessary…for the proper and efficient administration and performance of th(os)e…fund(s)”12 from which distributions have been allocated?
8. IT: What services does IT furnish? It manages IT infrastructure, provides helpdesk support, and implements security measures. Essentially, it’s the “backbone” of IVGID’s IT needs, allowing other departments to focus on their core functions. Again, if you’re operating a number of commercial “for profit” business enterprise endeavors, isn’t IT furnishing far more services in support of these businesses than would be the case if IVGID were limited just to providing water, sewer, and recreation facilities to local parcel owners rather than the world’s tourists? Such as multi-million dollar point-of-sales software? Or a million dollar plus Tyler Munis enterprise ERP (enterprise resource planning) software?
Staff‘s Use of a “Simplistic“204 Mathematical Formula Which Coincidentally Yields a Pre-Determined Result: Let’s assume you’re spending more on expenditures assigned to your General Fund205 than the revenues you’re able to generate. Given ¶1.1 of Board Policy No. 6.1.0 mandates adoption of a balanced operating budget206 (which as we’ve demonstrated is exactly what staff and past Boards do/have done), what do you do to balance your General Fund budget? The short answer is to increase revenues. But how do you increase revenues given the definition of General Fund123? It’s not possible. Okay, then the short answer becomes decrease expenses. But assuming you’re unwilling (which again as we’ve demonstrated is exactly what staff and past Boards do/have done), it’s not possible either. So what do you do? The artifice they use is called central services cost transfers207 from the District’s enterprise funds which benefit from steady revenue sources. And this explains what the District’s central services cost allocation plan really is.
But to put this intended methodology into practice208, staff need to come up with a mathematical formula which yields the intended results. A “means which justifies the end.” Don’t they? And assuming this is the case, they really don’t care about the formula’s justification nor its components. Nor its reasonableness10 nor equitableness11. Right? Thus here’s what the formula they came up with, at least prior to April of 2023:
sum((x*.80)*s + sum((x*.20)+y)*sum((f+w+b))*a209
Now what do x, y, f, w and b have to do with the necessary, equitable and reasonable costs associated with the alleged central services the District’s General Fund allegedly furnishes to its select (see discussion below) other departments, divisions and activities? The simple answer is nothing. But the more fundamental answer is it doesn’t matter. Why? Because at the end of the day, it was the above-formula which prevailed because it was the one which yielded the intended and required result! And the beauty of this formula was that if it didn’t yield the required result, no problem. Staff has the freedom to fine tune “a” from 1 – 100. Or to change the formula altogether! Which is exactly what happened in April of 2023. When the Board decided to transfer financial reporting of “Parks” to the District’s General Fund. When there would be an additional shortage of approximately $1.2 million in the District’s General Fund210. So staff chose to cover this additional shortfall by increasing the amount of central services cost transfers.
But because one hundred percent (100%) of General Fund Accounting and Human Resources expenses were already tapped so to speak, staff had to concoct another alleged “central service” cost to throw into the formula. And that became Information Technology211. In other words, rather than making $2,191,92469 in central services cost transfers from the District’s Utility, Community Services and Beach enterprise Funds, staff convinced the Board to increase the same transfers by another whopping 70.72% to $3,742,043!
And just so everyone knows, when the then level of central services cost transfers become insufficient to cover the financial shortfall in the General Fund, which exactly what occurred for FY 2026212, the formula was augmented again to include some other alleged “central service” cost never before allocated. Like the General Manager’s salary and benefits. Or the costs of our trustees. Or legal costs. Or the costs of emergency services. Or of public relations aka communications coordination. Or asset management. Or property management. Or contracts and procurement. Or Risk Management. Or Health & Wellness. Or General Administration. Whatever and from wherever available to make the required numbers work (i.e., the intended result). Until there are no other costs to tap.
It is for the above-reasons we have concluded the District’s central services cost transfers to its General Fund exhibit the very ills identified by former Assembly person Kirkpatric in her May 11, 2011 testimony before the Assembly Government Affairs Committee213. And they’re really no different than the forced RFF/BFF subsidies and out-of-control water and sewer charges the District levies from local parcel/dwelling unit owners. In other words,
1. The RFF pays for intentional overspending budgeted to the District’s Community Services Fund;
2. The BFF pays for the same intentional overspending budgeted to the District’s Beach Fund;
3. Ever increasing water and sewer charges pay for the same intentional overspending budgeted to the District’s Utility Fund; and,
4. Now that the reader can see the District’s central services cost transfers accomplish the very same thing insofar as the District’s General Fund is concerned.
Ladies and gentlemen, “if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it just may be a duck!”214 And for these reasons we believe the above-facts represent further evidence the District’s annual update to its central services cost allocation plan does not “equitably distribute general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past Boards have represented6. Rather, they serve as a financial “plug” or “subsidy” which pays for the financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending assigned to the District’s General Fund. Plus more!
Stated Differently, Numbers Don’t Lie. But The Liars Who Tell Us What Those Numbers Allegedly Represent, Do: This saying is a deviation of the maxim attributed to Mark Twain (i.e., that “figures don’t lie, but liars do figure”215) more than ninety-five (95) years ago. According to Carroll D. Wright, a prominent statistician employed by the U.S. government at the time, who used the expression earlier on June 25, 1889 while addressing the Convention of Commissioners of Bureaus of Statistics of Labor,
“It is our duty, as practical statisticians, to prevent the liar from figuring; in other words, to prevent him from perverting the truth in the interest of some theory he wishes to establish.”
In our opinion this describes District staff and past “rubber stamp” Boards. Since their actions admit they’re not truth tellers! And their formula for reasonably and equitably computing central services cost allocations is nothing more than a “moving target” end which is justified by its means.
IVGID Staff‘s Conscious Refusal to Allocate Alleged Central Services Costs Amongst All District Funds/Divisions/Departments/Activities: Recall that the District’s central services cost allocation plan5, in part, is based upon allocation amongst all District Funds/Departments/Divisions22 which arguably benefit from those vital services. However, that’s not what happens in the real world. Take a look at the 2024-25 Plan the IVGID Board adopted at its May 31, 2024 meeting216. That document identifies twelve (12) different District divisions/departments/activities allegedly incorporated into the Plan. Although each was supposed to be assigned an allocated percentage of total central services costs, note that under the column “Internal Services” no allocation whatsoever was assigned. Notwithstanding we see that this fund allegedly benefited from nine percent (9%) of all central services.
The reader’s attention is next directed to the column “General.” Notwithstanding we see this fund allegedly benefited from 13% of all central services, just like the District’s Internal Services Fund the amount allocated was zero! In other words, for 2024-25 a combined twenty-five percent (25%) of all alleged central services costs were not allocated amongst all District departments/divisions.
Then of course for 2022-23 (see the discussion above), notwithstanding the District’s Utility Fund consisted of 36.2 FTEs (13.81% of all FTEs), it was assigned no central services costs whatsoever!
The District takes the position its “General…and Internal Service Funds217…(need) not be billed as it would only add a layer to recalculating their related rates and charges to…other funds.”218 We disagree. According to the District’s “so called” plan22, all District funds/departments/divisions/activities are required to be billed their equitable allocated portion of central services costs. If that ends up increasing the rates charged by Internal Services or the amounts billed to other District departments, then so be it! Because then the truth will be revealed and we can have an honest discussion about whether it costs local parcel owners more or less than the cost to outsource these functions to maintain an Internal Services department and such bloated personnel assigned to the General Fund. Although “governments must weigh the benefits of an internal services costing system against the cost and complexity of system design choices,”219 here the District does not.
And insofar as the General Fund is concerned, here we’re talking about central services furnished to the General Fund FTEs rather than any other department’s FTEs. These costs can’t be billed out to other departments given NRS 354.613(8)(b) instructs “only (an) enterprise fund’s equitable share of those expenses may be treated as expenses of the enterprise fund and allocated to it.” The fact excess allocated central services cost revenues add to the General Fund’s fund balance, means that unlike all other District funds/departments/divisions/activities, the General Fund pays nothing for those central services furnished to its FTE’s.
Finally, as reported above, beginning in fiscal year 2023-24 the Board decided to transfer financial reporting of “Parks’” revenues and out-of-control expenses to the District’s General Fund. Prior thereto Parks was a sub-fund under the District’s Community Services Fund51. And as a sub-fund, it was charged its allocated portion of the District’s central services costs53. But once this transfer in reporting took place, District staff ceased charging Parks its equitable allocated portion of central services costs. Notwithstanding it employed a minimum of 8.4 FTEs220!
Four examples then that for whatever reasons, the District really doesn’t allocate all eligible central services costs amongst all District Funds/Departments/Divisions22 as staff represents6. Rather because of District staff’s “ends justify the means” philosophy, they exercise discretion to pick and choose which funds/departments/divisions/activities reimburse the General Fund for the costs of the central services allegedly furnished, and which do not. Even though the District as a whole allegedly benefits therefrom. Which again ends up skewing the allocation amongst only those FTEs which remain.
The District‘s Continued “Lack (of) Full Transparency:” The Moss Adams report concludes the District’s central services cost allocation plan is “simplistic” and “lack(s) the detail of which specific budgeted expenditure line items make…up the central service cost total to be allocated.”122 It therefore recommended “the District…improve the transparency of its plan:
By providing the detail of line items included in the budget that make up the total central service costs that ultimately are allocated to the District’s various activities (and)…revising (its) Policies and Practices to include the methodology…used to allocate central service costs (which)…should allow for different bases for different types of costs incurred to better match amounts allocated with the drivers of those costs to the activities responsible for paying for them.”
And specifically “to improve the transparency of the internal service costs allocated,” Moss Adams recommended:
“The District…consider accounting for central services within an Internal Services Fund (‘ISF’) instead of through reimbursements to the General Fund. ISFs provide a mechanism to accumulate costs that benefit multiple activities/funds, (and) allow for the capturing of all costs on a full accrual basis…The use of ISFs (will) require the setting of rates for interfund charges, over time, on a cost-reimbursement basis…We recommend a detailed schedule of the individual expenditure line items in the budget that make up the total to be allocated be included in the budget document along with the support for the allocation bases. To better match the costs of services used by each activity, we recommend identifying the different types of costs to be allocated and using a basis for allocation for each type that better aligns with the drivers of that cost to the benefitting activities…We recommend that interfund charges eventually become based on actual costs incurred…The correct use of an internal services fund will require reimbursement of actual costs incurred.”221
Four (4) or more years have lapsed since the Moss Adams report, and how many of their recommendations have been implemented? The answer is none. And why is that? Because staff have no interest in coming up with a bona fide central services cost allocation plan. What they really have an interest in accomplishing is creation of an artifice which allows them to come up with a mathematical formula (see the discussion above) which covers the financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending. Thus for this additional reason, we believe staff’s failure to implement any of Moss Adam’s central services cost allocation recommendations represents further evidence the District’s annual update to its central services cost allocation plan doesn’t “equitably distribute general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past Boards have represented6. Rather, they serve as a financial “plug” or “subsidy” which pays for the financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending assigned to the District’s General Fund. Plus more!
Conclusion: Although you won’t find it clearly stated in the 2011-12 Budget, back then the District budgeted for $771,961 of central services cost transfers222; roughly half ($385,981) came from its Utility Fund223, and the other half came from its Community Services224 and Beach225 Funds226 combined. Given the District’s 2025-26 budgeted transfers of $4,050,500103, allocated central services costs have more than quintupled in just fourteen (14) short years! And this is in spite of the fact the District’s ad valorem and consolidated tax revenues have only increased [from $2,405,716227 to $4,730,44873 228] by less than twofold, and expending has increased by more than 270% (from $3,154,74123 to $8,553,47073) during the same period of time! It’s apparent to us that the massive increase in overspending has been subsidized by central services cost transfers. One can affix any label one wants to a subsidy. And one can come up with any formula one wants to conjure up which results in the end result one seeks. But at the end of the day, a subsidy is still a subsidy. And that’s what we have here. So if not equitable allocations for legitimate central services costs, exactly what kind of monetary exactments do these transfers represent? In our opinion criminal ones! Because NRS 354.626(1) instructs that it’s unlawful for “any officer or employee of a local government (to) willfully violate NRS 354.470 to 354.626, inclusive.”229
And now you know!
Conclusion: And if central services cost transfers increase by an additional $1.2 million for 2023-24 should expenses associated with the District’s public parks and athletic fields be transferred to its General Fund, as staff are proposing, the increase in central services cost transfers within ten (10) short years will be a mind boggling 461%!
As bad as these numbers are, the increase in central services cost transfers from the District’s Community Services and Beach Funds230 has been greater. Nearly 330% (from $357,38256 to $1,178,206) from the District’s Community Services Fund, and nearly 494% (from $28,59857 to $141,19442) from its Beach Fund! Given the District’s Community Services and Beach Funds are budgeted to overspend nearly $7 million annually, this level of overspending is directly subsidized by the RFF and BFF, respectively, and General Fund overspending is largely subsidized by central services cost transfers from these two funds, hopefully the reader sees that overspending budgeted in the District’s General Fund is actually paid for by the RFF, BFF, and the District’s water and sewer rates and charges231. And now you know!
Which Extends to Fee Increases From Enterprise Funds: This is an issue closely related to central services cost transfers given “the governing body of a local government may (not)…loan or transfer money from…fees imposed,” and they are separately addressed at NRS 354.613(2)232. For 2020-21 the IVGID Board increased the BFF from $125 to $500233. For 2021-22 it increased the BFF from $500 to $680234. Nowhere was any mention made of whether either of these increases was prohibited by law. Nor that they were necessary for continuation of the purpose(s) for which the Beach Fund was created. Nor whether these increases would be used solely for the purposes for which the fees were collected. Simply transfers from fee increases.
So What ‘s the Consequence For Violating NRS 354.613? NRS 354.613(7) provides the answer: “The sole remedy for a violation of this section is the penalty provided in NRS 354.626. (Thus) any person who pays a fee for the enterprise for which the enterprise fund is created235 may file a complaint with the district attorney or Attorney General alleging a violation of this section for prosecution pursuant to NRS 354.626.”236
And as Evidence of “Consciousness of Guilt,”237 Consider How the District Attempted to Circumvent the Protections of NRS 354.613 by Converting its Community Services and Beach Funds from Enterprise to Special Revenue: Faced with added scrutiny over the central services allegedly provided to the District’s various funds other than its General Fund, starting in fiscal year 2014-15, staff chose to eliminate that scrutiny altogether by changing the District’s Community Services and Beach Funds from enterprise4 to special revenue238 Staff’s explanation for this change appears at Note 19, at page 46 of the District’s 2014-15 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (“the 2014-15 CAFR“): “Effective July 1, 2015, with its new fiscal and budget year, the District began utilizing Special Revenue, Capital Projects and Debt Service governmental fund accounting for (its) Community Services…and…Beach Fund(s), which have to date been accounted for as enterprise funds. The District has changed its approach to the pricing of services and in particular recognizes that the use of the facility fee to provide (financial) resources for capital expenditure and debt service (allegedly) cannot be displayed in a readily understandable fashion for its constituents” in enterprise funds.” Absolute hogwash!
What we had here was nothing short of circumventing the protections created by NRS 354.613! After all, if transfers are made from a fund other than an enterprise one, how can they be prohibited or limited by NRS 354.613? And to further demonstrate that these fund conversions represented circumvention, for fiscal year 2021-22 a new IVGID Board took charge and transitioned the District’s Community Services and Beach Fund(s) back to enterprise fund-types239.
- See https://waocio.my.site.com/s/glossary/a0U4U00000DLoJYUA1/central-services.
- For an understanding of the District’s various reporting funds, the reader is directed to our Understanding The District’s Funds Structure discussion.
- See NRS 354.613(8)(b).
- See NAC 354.867(1)(a).
- See NAC 354.8668(2).
- See NAC 354.867(1)(a).
- See NAC 354.005 which defines “local government” as “any local government subject to the provisions of the Local Government Budget and Finance Act, NRS 354.470 to 354.626, inclusive.” General improvement districts (“GIDs”) are subject to the LGBFA [see NRS 354.474(1)(a)].
- See NAC 354.8668(2).
- See NRS 354.470.
- See NRS 354.613(1)(c).
- See NAC 354.865 – 354.867.
- According to NRS 354.474(1)(a), the term “local government means every political subdivision [the Incline Village General Improvement District (“IVGID”) is “a governmental subdivision of the State of Nevada” {see NRS 318.075(1)}] or other entity which has the right to levy or receive money from ad valorem or other taxes [NRS 318.225 gives IVGID “the right to levy or receive money from ad valorem…taxes”] or any mandatory assessments [NRS 318.350 gives IVGID the right to “defray…by special assessment…the expenses of making any public improvement (to implement any one, all or any combination of basic powers stated in NRS 318.116 and granted to any district in proceedings for its organization or in any proceedings for its reorganization or as may be otherwise provided by law), as the board determines”].
- See NRS 354.613(1)(c).
- We submit that this NRS applies to general improvement districts (“GIDs”) because NRS 354.474(1) instructs that “the provisions of NRS 354.470 to 354.626, inclusive, apply to all local governments,” and GIDs are local governments7.
- Regulations adopted pursuant to NRS 354.613(8) [“for the purposes of paragraph (c) of subsection 1, the Committee on Local Government Finance (“CLGF”) shall adopt regulations setting forth the extent to which general, overhead, administrative and similar expenses of a local government of a type described in paragraph (c) of subsection 1 may be allocated to an enterprise fund”] pertaining to the “Allocation of Costs to Enterprise Fund(s).”
- See our What Are The RFF/BFF According to Us discussion.
- “The documentation of a local government that identifies, accumulates, allocates or develops billing rates for the allocation of the cost of services and property provided by the local government on a centralized basis to its departments, agencies and enterprise funds” (see NAC 354.8654).
- See NRS 354.613(8) as well as NAC 354.8668(5).
- In other words “for a cost allocation for employees, equipment or other resources related to the purpose of the enterprise fund which is approved by the governing body under a nonconsent item that is separately listed on the agenda for a regular meeting of the governing body.”
- See NAC 354.865–354.867.
- See NAC 354.8666.
- IVGID was created pursuant to NRS 318 (see Washoe County Ordinance No. 97, Bill No. 57 effective June 1, 1961).
- See our Understanding The District’s Funds Structure discussion.
- See page 043 of the 5/26/2022 Board packet based upon the requirement of NAC 354.8668(5)(a) that the Plan “provides for an equitable distribution of general, overhead, administrative and similar costs of the local government.”
- NRS 354.613(1) and (2)(c) instruct that “transfer(s of) money from…enterprise fund(s), mon(ies) collected from fees imposed for the purpose for which…enterprise fund(s were)…created or any income or interest earned on money in an enterprise fund,” are impermissible [actually unlawful given NRS 354.626(1) instructs that “any officer or employee of a local government who willfully violates NRS 354.470 to 354.626, inclusive, is guilty of a misdemeanor”] unless, in part, “the loan or transfer is made…for a cost allocation for employees, equipment or other resources related to the purpose of the enterprise fund.” For the purposes of paragraph (c) of subsection 1, NRS 354.613(8) instructs that the CLGF “shall adopt regulations setting forth the extent to which general, overhead, administrative and similar expenses of a local government of a type described in paragraph (c) of subsection 1 may be allocated to an enterprise fund.” Those regulations became effective December 20, 2012, and appear at NAC 354.865 – 867.
- “‘Be the One’ is a song recorded by United Kingdom and Albanian singer Dua Lipa for her eponymous (2017) debut studio album” (go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be_the_One_(Dua_Lipa_song)).
- This “veil…refers to a situation where something is intentionally kept hidden or concealed, preventing the truth from being revealed, and creating a sense of mystery or opacity” (go to https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/veil_1#:~:text=%5Bsingular%5D%20(formal)%20something,behind%20a%20veil%20of%20secrecy).
- See NAC 354.867(1) which mandates these costs adhere to this requirement.
- See NRS 354.613(8)(a) and NAC 354.8668(5)(a) which mandate these costs adhere to this requirement.
- See NAC 354.867(2)(a) which mandates these costs adhere to this requirement.
- See NAC 354.867(1)(a) which mandates these costs adhere to this requirement.
- See NAC 354.8668(5)(b) which mandates these costs adhere to this requirement.
- See NAC 354.8668(2) which mandates these costs adhere to this requirement.
- See NAC 354.867(1)(c) which mandates that these costs adhere to this requirement.
- See NAC 354.867(2)(c) which mandates these costs not exceed these prices.
- See NAC 354.867(2)(b) which mandates these costs adhere to this requirement.
- See NAC 354.867(2)(b) which mandates these costs evidence “an arm’s length transaction.”
- See NAC 354.867(1)(d) which mandates these costs be adequately documented for independent verification.
- See NAC 354.867(2)(d) which mandates these costs adhere to these requirements.
- NAC 354.8668(7) instructs that “the central service cost allocation plan of a local government…must be updated annually.
- See page 044 of the 5/26/2022 Board packet.
- See pages 23 and 24 of The District’s 2010-11 CAFR.
- See page 16 of the 2010-11 CAFR.
- See page 22 of the District’s 2011-12 CAFR.
- See page 23 of the District’s 2012-13 CAFR.
- Supplemented by $3,764 from sale of assets.
- See page 23 of the District’s 2013-14 CAFR.
- See page 23 of the District’s 2014-15 CAFR.
- See page 26 of the District’s 2015-16 CAFR.
- “As of July 1, 2015 the Board of Trustees established Special Revenue, Capital Project and Debt Service
funds for its Community Services and Beach activities” (see Note 14 at page 53 of the District’s 2015-16 CAFR). $250,000 of community services cost transfers were re-distributed to the District’s Community Services Capital Projects special revenue funds (see page 26 and Note 7 at page 49 of the District’s 2015-16 CAFR). - See page 26 of the District’s 2016-17 CAFR.
- “On August 29, 2012 the Board…established $400,000 Committed balance in the General Fund. Upon determination that the General Fund (would be)…able to meet its obligations, the District w(ould) then release the commitment…and make a transfer to the Community Services Special Revenue Fund. (Given) the District’s budget for the year ending June 30, 2017 included making the transfer…to
the Community Services Special Revenue Fund,” $400,000 of community services cost transfers were re-distributed to the District’s Community
Services Special Revenue Fund (see Note 14 at page 51 of the District’s 2016-17 CAFR). - See page 25 of the District’s 2017-18 CAFR.
- Supplemented by $16 from sale of assets.
- See page 25 of the District’s 2018-19 CAFR.
- “The Governmental Funds Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Change in Fund Balance evidences an $800,000 prior period adjustment (see page 27 of the District’s 2018-19 CAFR) “as a result of A Prior Period Adjustment was made “to reflect (a)…transfer from the Workers Compensation
Fund” (see Note 22 at page 56 of the District’s 2018-19 CAFR). And $325,644 of community services cost transfers were re-distributed (see Note 7 at page 48 of the District’s 2018-19 CAFR) to the District’s Community Services Capital Project special revenue fund. - See page 60 of the District’s 2019-2020 CAFR.
- $300,000 of community services cost transfers were re-distributed (see Note 8 at page 47 of the District’s 2019-2020 CAFR) from community services cost transfers to the District’s Community Services ($241,875) and Beach ($13,125) special revenue (see page 23 of the District’s 2019-2020 CAFR), and Utility ($45,000) enterprise fund (see Note 8 at page 47 of the District’s 2019-2020 CAFR).
- See page 51 of the District’s 2020-2021 CAFR.
- Net changes in fund balances for the District’s Community Services and Beach Special Revenue, Capital Project and Debt Service funds, combined, totaled $3,207,771 (see page 65 of the District’s 2020-2021 CAFR). But “the Governmental Funds Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Change in Fund Balance discloses three prior period adjustments. The first (wa)s a transfer between the Community Services Special Revenue Fund and the Community Services Capital Projects Fund that (wa)s reported in the prior year $1,637,400 lower than the entry in the financial reports. The second…(wa)s for the $243,512 that was reported as unavailable revenue but should have been recorded as revenue when received in prior years. (And) there were several assets capitalized in prior years that the auditors determined should not have been capitalized. The total affect to the financial reports was $3,207,771 (see Note 22 at page 44 of the District’s 2020-2021 CAFR). Excess General Fund revenues and central services transfers were allocated amongst the District’s General, Community Services and Beach, Capital Project and Debt Service special revenue funds. The portion allocated to the General Fund was $1,100,411 inclusive of the above $243,512 in prior years that should have been recorded as revenue. The remaining $2,350,872 increased the fund balances in the Community Services ($2,323,286) and Debt Service ($27,586) special revenue funds (see page 21 of the District’s 2020-2021 CAFR).
- Also see page 64 of the District’s 2020-2021 CAFR.
- See pages 52-53 of the District’s 2021-2022 ACFR.
- See page 25 of the District’s 2021-2022 ACFR.
- Less central services cost transfers were necessary ($188,504) given the “excess…of revenues over expenditures” supplemented by a $94,197 “prior period adjustment…(evidenced in) the Statement of Activities, (and) the Governmental Funds Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Change in Fund Balance” (see page 21 of the District’s 2021-2022 ACFR), and a $192,287 loan to the Internal Services Fund (see pages 20 and 24 of the District’s 2021-2022 ACFR.
- See page 22 of the District’s 2021-22 ACFR.
- Which “serve(s) as a useful measure of (this) government’s net resources available for spending at the end of the fiscal year” (see page 14 of the 2021-22 CAFR).
- Which the reader can see below “provide(d) that the amount of Central Services Overhead charged out through the (District’s) allocation plan (could) not exceed the actual cost of the overhead incurred.”
- One can examine this Policy at pages 87-91 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 7, 2025 meeting (“the 5/7/2025 Board packet“).
- One can examine this Policy at pages 110-113 of the 5/7/2025 Board packet.
- See page 9, Schedule B-10 of the 2021-22 Budget.
- See page 033 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 26, 2022 meeting (“the 5/26/2022 Board packet“).
- See our How Courts Instruct We Construe Statues Which Impact GIDs discussion.
- “Historically, the General Fund administrative costs allocated to other funds through the annual Central Services Cost Allocation Plan have been limited to costs attributed to Finance/Accounting and Human Resources activities.”24 But what about the costs associated with the remainder of “general, overhead, administrative and similar” services furnished (see ¶1.0.4 of Board Policy No. 18.1.0)? Such as our General Manager’s salary and benefits. Or our trustees. Or legal costs. Or the costs of information technology, Or the costs of emergency services. Or public relations aka communications coordination. Or asset management. Or property management. Or risk assessment. Or contracts and procurement. Or employee health & wellness.
- See page 24 of the District’s 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (“the 2023 ACFR“).
- In other words, the effect of the 2023 Utility Fund holiday represents further evidence the District’s annual update to its central service cost allocation plan is not limited to “equitably distribut(ing) all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
- See page 12 of the 2023 ACFR under Management’s Discussion and Analysis.
- The Community Services Fund paid $1,204,069 (see pages 24 and 52 of the 2023 ACFR, and the Beach Fund paid $127,085 (see pages 24 and 53 of the 2023 ACFR).
- NRS 354.517 defines an enterprise fund as one: “established to account for operations: 1. Which are financed and conducted in a manner similar to the operations of private business enterprises, where the intent of the governing body is to have the expenses…of providing goods or services on a continuing basis to the general public, financed or recovered primarily through charges to the users; or, 2. For which the governing body has decided that a periodic determination of revenues earned, expenses incurred and net income is consistent with public policy and is appropriate for capital maintenance, management control, accountability or other purposes.”
- NRS 354.270 defines Special Revenue Fund to mean one “used to account for specific revenue sources, other than sources for major capital projects, which are restricted by law to (the) expenditure for specified purposes.”
- See Note 19, on page 46 of the District’s 2014-15 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (“the 2014-15 CAFR“).
- The deliberate circumvention of the protections of NRS 354.613 and NAC 354.865 through 354.867.
- See page 38 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 26, 2021 meeting (“the 5/26/2021 Board packet“).
- See our History of The District’s Central Services Cost Transfers discussion.
- See Note 12 labeled “Transfers” at page 44 to the District’s 2004-05 Comprehensive Annual (Audited) Financial Report (“CAFR”), page 43 to its 2005-06 CAFR, page 42 to its 2006-07 CAFR, page 38 to its 2007-08 CAFR, page 43 to its 2008-09 and 2009-10 CAFRs, and page 42 to its 2010-11 CAFR.
- Because ¶1.1 of Board Policy No. 6.1.0 mandates adoption of a balanced operating budget.
- For fiscal year 2022-23 the reader can examine staff’s financial reporting for this sub-fund at pages 160-163 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 26, 2022 meeting (“the 5/26/2022 Board packet”).
- A minimum of $1,247,595 annually [see pages 8 of Schedule B-10 ($1,152,887 of operational costs) and 9 of Schedule B-11 ($94,708 of capital expenses) to the District’s 2023-24 Form 4404LGF].
- The reason being that because the District’s parks were and are “public” facilities available to the general public as a whole without assessment of user fees, the Board at the time felt it was unfair to shackle local parcel owners with a financial obligation which benefitted the general public as a whole. In other words, facilities and services provided to the general public should be paid for from general revenues (such as taxes) rather than assessing the owners of local parcels/dwelling units.
- See pages 150-151 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s February 22, 2023 meeting (“the 2/22/2023 Board packet“).
- In other words, staff’s proposal that central service cost transfers be increased beyond that necessary for an “equitable distribution of all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund,” paid for by even higher RFFs/BFFs and utility charges, represents further evidence that the real purpose of the District’s annual updates to its central service cost plan differs from what staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
- Although the methodology changed, the language in Board Policy No. 18.1.0 didn’t. The version of Board Policy No. 18.1.0 that was in place for FY 2024, and in fact through July 1 if not November 12 of 2025, can be viewed at pages 110-113 of the 5/7/2025 Board packet. At the Board’s November 12, 2025 meeting, it changed ¶2.0.2 of Board Policy No. 18.1.0. That version can be viewed at pages 368-371 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s November 12, 2025 meeting (“the 11/12/2025 Board packet“).
- Disingenuous because the effect of having to include the cost of additional alleged central services which had never before been included in the District’s central service cost allocation plan represents further evidence the District’s annual update is not limited to “equitably distribut(ing) all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
- See page 150 of the 2/22/2023 Board packet.
- See page 045 of the 5/26/2022 Board packet.
- See page 31 of the 4/5/2023 Board packet.
- See pages 117-118 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipations of the Board’s April 9, 2025 meeting (“the 4/9/2025 Board packet“).
- In other words, further evidence that the District’s annual plan update was not limited to “equitably distribut(ing) all general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund in the course of supporting…operations of the District’s (various) enterprise funds” as staff and past/current Boards have represented/represent24.
- See that Supplemental Item G.3.B. to that packet of materials prepared .by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 31, 2024 meeting (“the 5/31/2024 Board packet”).
- $4,527,142 (see page 21 of the 2025 ACFR).
- $7,785,209 (see page 21 of the 2025 ACFR).
- See pages 24 and 58 of the 2025 ACFR.
- That overspending was budgeted to increase by $640,261 in a single year to $8,425,470 (see pages 8-9, Schedules B-10 and B-11 to the District’s 2025-26 budget Form 4404LGF).
- See page 7, Schedule B-9 to the District’s 2025-26 budget Form 4404LGF.
- See page 18 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 27, 2026 meeting (“the 5/27/2026 Board packet“).
- Meaning their financial reporting would be even worse than it is already!
- In other words, to cover the financial shortfall between budgeted revenues and intentional overspending assigned to the District’s General Fund.
- See page 4 of the 5/27/2026 Board packet.
- See pages 21 and 24 of the District’s 2022-2023 ACFR.
- Includes the $1,331,154 of central services cost transfers deducted from the $4,600,462 expense figure reflected in the District’s 2022-2023 CAFR.
- Given the massive reduction in fund balance, we provide this explanation. $1,000,000 of central services cost transfers were re-distributed “to the Utility Fund (see pages 9 and 10 under the column “Actual Prior Year Ending 6/30/2023” of the District’s 2024-25 Budget) to aid in the cost of construction on the Effluent Pipeline” (see Note 8 at page 40 of the District’s 2022-2023 CAFR). An additional $330,735 was used towards a $375,113 litigation settlement (see page 9 under the column “Actual Prior Year Ending 6/30/2023” of the District’s 2024-25 Budget) with resident Mark Smith over his public records concealment lawsuit, augmented by a $44,378 reduction in fund balance.
- See pages 15 and 18 of the District’s 2023-2024 ACFR.
- Includes the $1,956,300 of central services cost transfers deducted from the $6,337,114 expense figure reflected in the District’s 2023-2024 CAFR. Given the substantial increase in overspending, we provide this explanation. For FY 2024 “the General Fund…include(d) the District’s parks, which were moved to the General Fund from the Community Services Fund as of July 1, 2023” (see page 22 of the 2023-2024 CAFR). And as a result, General Fund expenses increased by $1,736,652 [from $4,600,462 in FY 2023 (see page 21 of the 2022-2023 CAFR) to $6,337,114 in FY 2024 (see page 15 of the 2023-2024 CAFR)]. It turns out $1,247,585 of those increased expenses were incurred as a result of new expenses assigned to parks operations (take a look at the “actual prior year ending 6/30/2024” column on Schedules B-10 and B-11, at pages 8 and 9 of the District’s final FY 2025-26 Budget filed on Form 4404LGF with the Department of Taxation. There the District reported $1,152,877 in operational and $94,708 in capital expenses assigned to “Park” functions. And although this page (15) of the CAFR represents $6,337,114 of expenditures, as aforesaid, the reader needs to understand that an additional $1,956,300 of expenditures were actually incurred yet disingenuously reduced by a comparable amount of central services cost transfers.
- See page 15 of the District’s 2023-2024 CAFR.
- See page 21 of the District’s 2024-2025 ACFR.
- “$153,630 of revenue was added to Fund Balance from a Subscription Based Information Technology Arrangement, and $198,527 was deducted from Fund Balance as Correction of an Error.”
- See page 7, Schedule B-9 to the District’s 2025-26 budget Form 4404LGF.
- See page 7, Schedule B-9 to the District’s 2026-27 budget Form 4404LGF.
- See page 9, Schedule B-11 to the District’s 2026-27 budget Form 4404LGF.
- After all, how else can the District generate the revenues required to pay for ever increasing overspending?
- See ¶2.0.2.1 Board Policy No. 18.1.0, infra.
- See ¶2.0.2.2 of Board Policy No. 18.1.0, infra.
- See page 16 of that January 14, 2021 Moss Adams, LLP report which “Evaluates…Certain (District) Account and Reporting Matters” (“the Moss Adams report“). “Moss Adams LLP was contracted by Incline Village General Improvement District to analyze and provide guidance(, in part,) on whether…the allocation of central service costs…are in agreement with applicable accounting standards” (see page 3 of the Moss Adams report).
- Because “that’s where the money is” [this is the famous quote wrongly attributed to legendary Jesse James (see The Story of Mistaken Attribution)].
- See Schedule S-2, at page 4 of The District’s 2016 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-9, at page 9 of The District’s 2016 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule F-1, at page 23 of The District’s 2016 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule S-2, at page 13 of The District’s 2017 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-9, at page 18 of The District’s 2017 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule F-1, at page 33 of The District’s 2017 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule S-2, at page 18 of The District’s 2018 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-9, at page 18 of The District’s 2018 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule F-1, at page 30 of The District’s 2018 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule S-2, at page 13 of The District’s 2019 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-9, at page 18 of The District’s 2019 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule F-1, at page 30 of The District’s 2019 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule S-2, at page 9 of The District’s 2020 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-9, at page 14 of The District’s 2020 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule F-1, at page 26 of The District’s 2020 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule S-2, at page 3 of The District’s 2021 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-9, at page 8 of The District’s 2021 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule F-1, at page 20 of The District’s 2021 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule S-2, at page 03 of The District’s 2022 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-9, at page 08 of The District’s 2022 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule F-1, at page 20 of The District’s 2022 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule S-2, at page 2 of The District’s 2023 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-9, at page 7 of The District’s 2023 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule F-1, at page 19 of The District’s 2023 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule S-2, at page 2 of The District’s 2024 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-11, at page 9 of The District’s 2024 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule F-1, at page 10 of The District’s 2024 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule S-2, at page 2 of The District’s 2025 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-11, at page 9 of The District’s 2025 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule S-2, at page 2 of The District’s 2026 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-11, at page 9 of The District’s 2026 Tentative Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule F-1, at page 10 of The District’s 2026 Tentative Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule S-2, at page 2 of The District’s 2027 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule B-9, at page 7 of The District’s 2027 Form 4404LGF.
- See Schedule F-1, at page 12 of The District’s 2027 Form 4404LGF.
- See page 50 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 27, 2026 meeting (“the 5/27/2026 Board packet“).
- See pages 082-083 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s January 25, 2023 meeting (“the 1/25/2023 Board packet“).
- 32 full-time positions, and 2 part time positions in FY 2024-25 [see page 186 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s March 12, 2025 meeting (“the 3/12/2025 Board packet“)].
- See page 25 of that April 2022 Water and Sewer Rate Study.
- See page 11 of the FY 2023 ACFR.
- “A $1 million capital transfer from the General Fund [see the ($1,000,000) “transfers out” entry (page 21 of the FY 2023 ACFR)] to the utility fund [see the $1,000,000 “transfers in” entry (page 24 of the FY 2023 ACFR)].
- Which was paid in FY 2022.
- Which was paid in FY 2024.
- See page 40 of the FY 2023 ACFR).
- See NRS 354.613(8)(b).
- Such as the obligation to: “annually prepare…a capital improvement plan for the (ensuing) fiscal year…and the ensuing 5 fiscal years” [see NRS 354.5945(1)]. Or to “compile a report…for each fiscal year…concerning…capital improvements owned, leased or operated” [see NRS 354.5947(1)]. Or to “submit…a tentative budget for the ensuing fiscal year…to the Department of Taxation…on or before April 15” of each year [see NRS 354.596(1)-(2)]. Or to “adopt a final judgment” after public hearing [see NRS 354.598(1)-(2)]. Or to “submit to the Department of Taxation, annually, an itemized report showing all…outstanding indebtedness” [see NRS 354.6025(1)]. Or to “provide for an annual audit of all of its financial statements…not later than 5 months after the close of the fiscal year for which the audit is conducted” [see NRS 354.624(1)].
- Note ¶1.1 of Board Policy No. 6.1.0‘s mandates that a balanced operating budget be adopted.
- See the Office of the Washington State Auditor’s discussion on Overhead Cost Allocations.
- A local government’s allocation must be “documented adequately for independent verification.”
- In other words, “approved by the governing body under a nonconsent item that is separately listed on the agenda for a regular meeting of the governing body” [see NRS 354.613(1)(c)].
- See NRS 354.596(2). Understand that here we’re talking about a tentative rather than final budget. A local government’s final budget need not “be adopted (until) on or before June 1 of each year” [see NRS 354.598(2)]. Notwithstanding, as the reader will learn below, the District’s central services cost allocation plan is improperly “based on the final General Fund budgets for Accounting…Human Resources” and Information Technology.
- See Supplemental Item G.3.B. to the Board’s May 31, 2024 meeting packet.
- See the Board’s May 30, 2025 meeting.
- That is, NRS 354.613(8) and “NAC 354.865 to 354.867, inclusive.”
- See NRS 354.626(1) which states that “any officer or employee of a local government who willfully violates NRS 354.470 to 354.626, inclusive, is guilty of a misdemeanor.”
- As opposed to “only (its) enterprise fund(s’) equitable share of those expenses.”3
- See page 4 of 142 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 27, 2026 meeting (“the 5/27/2026 Board packet.“
- See page 24 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 27, 2020 meeting (“the 5/27/20 Board packet“).
- See pages 043-044 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 26, 2022 meeting (“the 5/26/2022 Board packet“).
- See page 24 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 27, 2020 meeting (“the 5/27/20 Board packet“).
- In other words, “do as I say rather than as I do.”
- See our What is a GID discussion.
- See NRS 318.075.
- See our What is a GID discussion.
- See our Why The Need For GIDs Discussion.
- See ¶II at page 8 of Legislative Commission of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, State of Nevada (“LCB”), Bulletin No. 77-11, Creation, Financing and Governance of General Improvement Districts, September 1976 (“LCB Bulletin 77-11”).
- See Dillon’s Rule – NRS 244.137 and 268.001.
- See our Powers a GID May Exercise discussion.
- See NRS 318.116.
- See NRS 318.015(1).
- See page 2 of Schedule S2 to the District’s FY 2026 Budget.
- In contrast the county of Carson City employed 1,082 employees. And the Sun Valley General Improvement District employed 14 employees.
- See NRS 354.470, et seq.
- See NRS 354.596.
- See NRS 354.598.
- See NRS 354.624.
- See NRS 354.6025.
- NRS 354.5945.
- See NRS 354.5947.
- See NRS 354.6025.
- See pages 15-16 of the Moss Adams report.
- According to NRS 354.534, “General fund means the fund used to account for all financial resources except those required to be accounted for in another fund.” This can’t include utility rates, tolls and charges because the District’s Utility Fund accounts for all financial resources with respect to utilities. Nor rates, tolls and charges associated with recreation other than the beaches because the District’s Community Services Fund accounts for all financial resources with respect to recreation other than the beaches. Nor rates, tolls and charges associated with the beaches because the District’s Beach Fund accounts for all financial resources with respect to the beaches.
- In particular, it instructs that “the District shall adopt a process that defines a balanced operating budget, encourages commitment to a balanced budget under normal circumstances, and provides for disclosure when a deviation from a balanced operating budget is planned or when it occurs.”
- Since central services cost transfers are expressly permitted by NRS 354.613(1)(c), is it any wonder District staff have proclaimed (whether or not it is accurate) that the purpose for these transfers is to pay for “general, overhead and administrative costs incurred by the District’s General Fund” [see page 520 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 25, 2023 meeting (“the 5/25/2023 Board packet“]?
- Remember NAC 354.8668(6) mandates that “the central service cost allocation plan of a local government…must include a description of the methodology used to determine the allocation of costs.”
- Here’s your legend: x = Accounting budget net of credit for interest earnings; y = Human Resources and Payroll budget; f = District wide budgeted FTEs; w = District wide budgeted wages; b = District wide budgeted benefits; s = District wide budgeted services and supplies; a = allocation factor, from 1 – 100.
- See pages 150-151 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s February 22, 2023 meeting (“the 2/22/2023 Board packet“).
- See page 150 of the 2/22/2023 Board packet.
- When those transfers increased by another $308,457 to $4,050,50073.
- See page 39 of the minutes of the May 11, 2011 public hearing session for AB471 before that Committee.
- A test first devised by the US labor leader Walter Reuther (1907–70) in the McCarthy era [go to https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199916108.001.0001/acref-9780199916108-e-4080;jsessionid=624359E7E817E1DEDF4DECF3605AA43B#:~:text=and%20Legal%20Notice).-,If%20it%20looks%20like%20a%20duck%2C%20walks%20like%20a%20duck,just%20may%.
- Go to https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/11/15/liars-figure/.
- See page 41 of the packet of supplemental materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 31, 2024 meeting (“the 5/31/2024 Board packet“).
- What about the District’s Utility Fund?
- See ¶2.0.1 of Board Policy No. 18.1.0.
- See the Government Finance Officer’s Association’s (“GFOA”) discussion on Pricing Internal Services.
- See pages 24 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 29, 2024 meeting (“the 5/29/2024 Board packet“) for FY 2023-24, and 131 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 30, 2025 meeting (“the 5/30/2025 Board packet“) for FY 2025-26.
- See pages 18-19 of the Moss Adams report.
- See the “transfers in/out” entry at pages 83 and0 103 of the 2011-12 Budget.
- See the “transfers in/out” entry at page 114 of the 2011-12 Budget.
- See the $357,382 of “transfers in/out” entry at page 153 of the 2011-12 Budget.
- See the $28,598 of “transfers in/out” entry at page 253 of the 2011-12 Budget.
- This is because for decades, staff arbitrarily transferred: 50% of this deficiency from the District’s Utility Fund, 45% from the District’s Community Services Fund, and 5% from the District’s Beach Fund.
- See page 104 of the 2011-12 Budget.
- See page 66 of the 5/26/2022 Board packet.
- Recall that the NRS which has been violated is NRS 354.613(1), which incorporates NAC 354.865 to NAC 354.867 through NRS 354.613(8).
- The two funds subsidized by the District’s Recreation Facility Fees.
- Which are higher than “just and reasonable.” In Springfield Gas & Electric Co. v. City of Springfield, 292 Ill. 236, 126 N.E. 739, 744 (1920) [affirmed at 257 U.S. 66, 42 S.Ct. 24], and cited with approval by the Nevada Office of Attorney General (“OAG”) at A.G.O. 53-231 (February 9, 1953), it was declared that a public utility’s rates and charges must be just and reasonable. And this term was defined as “simply high enough to produce revenue sufficient to bear all costs of maintenance…operation…interest charges on bonds and…accumulation of a surplus…sufficient to (service) all outstanding bonds,” and none other.
- “The governing body of a local government may (not) increase the amount of any fee imposed for the purpose for which an enterprise fund was created (unless and until it first)…determines that: (a) the increase is not prohibited by law; (b) the increase is necessary for the continuation or expansion of the purpose for which the enterprise fund was created; and, (c) all fees that are deposited in the enterprise fund are used solely for the purposes for which the fees are collected.
- See pages 33-179 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 26, 2021 meeting (“the 5/26/2021 Board packet“).
- See page 52 of the 5/26/2021 Board packet.
- And as the reader will learn, the subject central services cost transfers were funded by various ” fees” paid by local parcel owners.
- NRS 354.626(1) states in part that any “officer or employee of a local government (who) willfully violates NRS 354.470 to 354.626, inclusive, is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof ceases to hold his or her office or employment.”
- “Consciousness of guilt is the inference that (a) defendant knows…he is guilty of a crime because he has taken one or more of the following actions…a false alibi or explanation for one’s actions…In a criminal trial the District Attorney or prosecutor can show that this type of conduct was due to a defendant’s criminal conduct and…would have not occurred otherwise” (go to https://gambonelaw.com/what-is-consciousness-of-guilt-and-why-its-a-problem/).
- NRS 354.270 defines a Special Revenue Fund to mean one “used to account for specific revenue sources, other than sources for major capital projects, which are restricted by law to (the) expenditure for specified purposes.”
- See page 38 of the 5/26/2021 Board packet.
