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6.B. - Page 42 of 55 <br />City of Redwood City <br />Utility Users' Tax Fund <br />Notes to Financial Statements <br />For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 <br />1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES <br />A. Reporting Entity <br />All transactions of the Utility Users' Tax and Communication Users' Tax are reported in a separate fund of the <br />City of Redwood City, California (City). The separate fund is included as part of the General Fund in the basic <br />financial statements of the City. The fund is used to account for the City's revenues earned and expenditures <br />incurred according to the Communication Users' Tax Ordinance of the City of Redwood City. The accompanying <br />financial statements are for the Utility Users' Tax fund only and are not intended to fairly present the financial <br />position of the City. <br />B. Basis of Accounting and Measurement Focus <br />The accompanying financial statements are prepared on the modified accrual basis of accounting. Revenues are <br />generally recorded when measurable and available, and expenditures are recorded when the related liabilities are <br />incurred. <br />The accounting and financial reporting treatment applied to a fund is determined by its measurement focus. All <br />governmental funds are accounted for using a current financial resources measurement focus, wherein only current <br />assets and current liabilities generally are included on the balance sheet. Operating statements of governmental <br />funds present increases (revenues and other financing sources) and decreases (expenditures and other financing <br />uses) in net current assets. <br />C. Fund Accounting <br />The operations of the Utility Users' Tax Fund, which includes the Communications Users' Tax, are accounted for <br />as part of the General Fund. Funds are separate accounting entities with a set of self -balancing accounts which <br />comprise their assets, liabilities, fund equity, revenues, and expenditures. <br />2. UTILITY USERS' TAX AND COMMUNICATIONS USERS' TAX <br />A Utility Users' Tax is imposed upon every person in the City using electricity and natural gas which is transported <br />and delivered through a pipeline distribution system. The tax rate for natural gas and electricity is 5%. A <br />Communications Users' Tax is imposed upon every person in the City using telecommunication services and cable <br />television services. The tax rate for Communications Users' Tax is 4%. There is also a 3.5% tax on prepaid <br />wireless phones, in accordance with AB1717, effective January 1, 2016, which is used for low and moderate <br />income housing. All other funds are used for capital improvement and administrative expenditures. <br />