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Financial Services

Expenditures 1999

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities

Statement of Operating Fund Equity

Statement of Capital Fund Equity

Finance Department
The Finance Department staff is responsible for the City's financial records and reporting, payroll, operating budget, benefit administration, cash receipts, accounts payable, and financial system training.

  • Implemented an upgraded operating budget system and provided extensive user training
  • Participated in the tender, selection and recommen- dation of software applications for Payroll, Time Management and Corporate Financial systems

Purchasing
Our Purchasing Department staff played a key role in the negotiation of an electrical contract with Enmax due to the deregulation of electrical services. Purchasing staff issued 62 tenders and 12 Request for Proposals totalling $9.7 Million. Additionally, the small value ordering system processed 9,100 transactions worth $2.7 Million.

Customer Billing
The Customer Billing Department invoices and collects receivables for City water and waste management services.

  • New billing system implemented which improved functionality and efficiency
  • 142,154 utility bills were issued - a 3.7% increase over 2000
  • Approximately 40% of the utility payments were processed electronically
  • Pre-authorized payment plan transactions increased 17.5% over 2000
  • Telephone/Internet bank payments increased 33.3% over 2000
Assessment & Taxation
The Department is responsible for assessing property values, levying and collecting property taxes, invoicing and accounts receivable.
  • Nine appeals heard by the Assessment Review Board
  • Re-inspection and re-evaluation of the downtown properties and all residential property completed
  • Approximately 60% of non-residential properties have been re-inspected and re-evaluated
  • Elimination of business tax
  • Addition of 214 properties to the assessment roll
  • Properties enrolled on the City's tax instalment plan increased
  • Tax Instalment Bylaw was passed
  • Department staff were part of a core group designing a customized tax billing system, which is set for implementation in March 2002
  • Provincial audit results continued to meet specified legislated requirements
  • Write-offs for Taxation and Accounts Receivable were under 1%

Assessment and Taxation will continue to enhance their efforts to provide creditable, quality service in 2002.


Information Resources
The Information Resources Department continued the evolution of becoming a SMART organization. The vision and strategies currently in place for our organization allow us to strategically exploit new technologies. Decisions are based on organizational priorities, industry trends, business cases, and driven by the demand to provide improved levels of customer service.

  • A comprehensive Dell server storage and backup solution, in conjunction with standard fibre based connections, continued to provide a solid infrastructure platform
  • Standardization on a complete current Microsoft solution provided the application environment to support the City's business needs
  • A multi-year strategic business application migration initiated and included the implementation of the new Utility Billing and Customer Information Management solution
  • Various modules of the Operations Management System were implemented including the City's asset inventory and customer request management solution
  • Upgrades to current versions of existing business applications occurred, including the CLASS software solutions that support our Program Registration, Facilities Booking, and Membership Management Systems
  • The Budget Management System upgraded
  • New business system projects were initiated for a Payroll, Time Management, and complete Financial System
  • Grande Prairie website remains a source of pride for our organization with over 35,000 visitors per month and web page views exceeded 300,000 hits per month

Further details on the various IT strategies, models, projects and systems can be found on our website at www.city.grande-prairie.ab.ca/ir/ir_home.htm


Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
GIS is responsible for the mapping of all City infrastructure and updating a global Geographic Information System. This system enables users to view a current map and related property information via the Internet. Grande Prairie GIS (GPGIS) registered their domain name in 2001 - GPGIS.com.

  • Two new Internet based GIS applications, a public access site and a secure licensed site for business and industry
  • New secure licensed site provides more efficient customer services for registered users to access detailed mapping and related property information, municipal utility information, and digital images
  • Successful completion of two phases of the GPREMS onboard, GPS/GIS initiative with long term partner TELUS Geomatics of Edmonton
  • Partnered with the County of Grande Prairie and purchased a new regional digital orthophoto, a total saving of $100,000 for both the City and the County
  • Initiated the integration of permanent paper mapping records into an electronic library