A city can require a gas company to pay a franchise fee and impose other conditions upon the operation of the gas company within the city.

MTAS was asked whether a municipality has to return money paid by an outside water user who was also billed for sewer service when no sewer service was provided or available.

MTAS was asked whether bid specifications can be restricted only to name brand items.

MTAS was asked about a proposed contract between the City (and other county municipalities) and the County Municipal Water District.

A list of contact information for companies that provide actuarial services in Tennessee. This list is provided for the user's convenience but does not indicate an endorsement of any listed firm.

This review looks at various aspects of the water, sewer and natural gas utility. The process used in this review includes brief observations/visits, review of third party reports, review of operational reports and direct questions to the staff.

MTAS was asked whether the city charter could have a conflict of interest provision stronger than Tennessee's two conflicts of interest laws.

A number of selected municipalities in east and middle Tennessee were surveyed regarding their dollar amount threshold for competitive bids.

MTAS was asked whether the grant of a franchise to a water utility is necessary for the utility to operate within the municipality.

The process of closing the books for the year is just that, a process. It is an ongoing process. To efficiently close the books by the end of August, the books should be kept current and accurate. In other words, monthly reconciliations are a crucial part of the year-end close, because much less research and work will be required if errors, adjustments and routine items are reconciled monthly. It makes the year-end process much less time consuming.

This document should be a general guideline as every city will have different processes and general ledger accounts. This guide is simply a tool to facilitate the process and provide a systematic approach. The process must be repeated for every fund.

This guide also includes an accompanying “Fiscal Year-End Checklist for Closing and Annual Audit” spreadsheet linked below.