“DLGS Legislative & Regulatory Update”
Christine Caruso, Deputy Director DLGS
2017 Rutgers Governmental Accounting & Auditing Update ConferenceNovember 30, 2017
State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs
Division of Local Government Services
Agenda
Recent Local Finance Notices
Financial Automation Submission
and Tracking System (“FAST”)
The Future of FAST…and DLGS
Recent Local Finance Notices
Implementation of New County Entity Budget Cap (LFN 2017-03)
Municipal Budget Appropriations for Volunteer Fire Companies and Fire Districts (LFN 2017-6)
Issuance of Refunding Bonds Meeting Certain Conditions without Local Finance Board Approval (LFN 2017-9)
Certification of Available Funds: Recent Rule Changes by Local Finance Board (LFN 2017-10)
Water Infrastructure Protection Act (WIPA) & Water/Wastewater Public-Private Contracting Acts (LFN 2017-11)
Dedication of Revenue: Fees for Uniform Construction Code Enforcement (LFN 2017-15)
Environmental Infrastructure Trust: The “WISE” Act and Recent Program Changes (LFN 2017-16)
Municipal & County Budget Cap Information CY 2018 (LFN 2017-22)
Update on Various Fire District Matters (LFN 2017-23)
Financial Automation
Submission and Tracking
System (“FAST”)
Project Overview
Financial Automation Submission and Tracking system (FAST) DCA is replacing the current LGS Budgeting processes of
using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and paper documents with an online system that will make the submission, review and approval more efficient and thorough.
DCA will be using Microsoft Dynamics 365 to provide workflows that will help manage LGS budgeting and reporting processes. Through public facing Portal web pages, Local Government
Entities (Municipalities, Counties, Authorities and Fire Districts) will be able and to submit their financial information to LGS. Data validation and system calculations will ensure that data is complete and within regulatory parameters.
Through the use of the Microsoft Dynamics Web Application, LGS auditors will have access to reports, dashboards and workflows, LGS will be able to approve, monitor and report on LGE budgets.
Data Submission: FAST Portal
Streamlined user-friendly cloud based portal to collect all
relevant Financial Data due to the Division of Local
Government Services
Allow for all Local Entities (Counties, Municipalities,
Authorities, Fire Districts) to electronically submit their
required financial data to DLGS
No need to download the latest version of Documents
Ability to import budget data from excel or financial
reporting system
Benefits of FAST
Single platform for all DLGS submissions: Audit
Corrective Action Plans
Annual Debt
Annual Financial Statement
Budget Chapter 159’s and other amendments
Emergencies
Change in Text & Title
Transfers
Supplemental Debt Statements
Fire, Authority, and Housing Authority Budget Workbooks
Benefits:
Electronic submission - create a user-friendly
cloud based portal for submission that would
allow local government entities to
electronically:
Upload
Complete
Submit documents (to include audits, budget,
financials and debt with supporting
documentation)
System will replace the current paper/Excel
submissions.
State Review & Approval Process:
Better communication – provide an electronic tracking system to
communicate status of document submissions, review and approvals
real-time.
More efficient and effective review of financial reports – The
Department of Community Affair’s Division of Local Government
Services (DLGS) will be able to pro-actively look for trends, signs of
financial distress, etc.
Improve auditing & review processes.
Improve reporting capabilities.
Provide better transparency to the public.
Eliminate the need to collect and store paper documents where
possible.
Accuracy:
Data verification - perform error checks and verify the appropriate data to the various sources prior to submission to minimize budget questions.
Transfer of data – automatically populate financial reports with certain data from DLGS (i.e. State aid amounts, reserves, debt, etc.)
Public data – assist local government units in providing public data such as budgets, AFS’s, ADS’s, Audits, etc.
Analytics:
Single platform – all DLGS submissions will
use a single platform (including Chapter 159’s,
transfers, emergencies, etc.).
Better availability of data – an automated
system will help centralize a tremendous
amount of data related to local municipal
government entities, an important tool for
understanding the services provided and the
cost of providing them (data mining).
Workgroup
The State has assembled a Workgroup
Taskforce of local officials from Municipalities,
Counties, Authorities, Fire Districts, Auditors,
Professional Organizations and State
personnel to help develop, review and Beta
test the system.
The Process
The Local Entity will log into the web-based portal and
enter and upload their data.
We are working with local vendors to create export
capabilities to upload info into the system and eliminate
redundant input.
System Access
LGS
LGEs
Public
• User Authentication Required• Custom Reports• Data• Dashboards• Workflows
• User Authentication Required
• Forms• Data Import• PDF Reports• Workflows
• PDF Reports• No User Authentication
Required
Dynamics Web PortalDynamics 365
Accessing Portal
After registering, use the same URL
https://njdca-dev.dynamics365portals.us
Click the Sign In button and enter your user name & password
Click Sign In
Navigation
Home
Main FAST Navigation
Sign In
Navigation: FAST
List of LGEs
Quick access to Fire Budget / LGE
Detail for specific LGE
Navigation: FAST
Click arrow next to FAST to access:
LGE
Fire Budget
Annual Financial Statements
Supplemental Debt Statements
Annual Debt Statements
Hierarchical Structure in FAST
Selecting LGE
LGE Information
Selecting Document
Select Annual
Financial
Statements or Fire
Budgets (more to
come!)
This will view all
forms you have
access to view
View & Edit Existing Document
System will open
to the Information
page
Navigate through
other sections
using the left-hand
navigation
Editing Fields
Fields you CAN edit
Open, white box
Fields you CANNOT edit
No white boxes –
cannot click in field
Automatically
calculated
Adding data to a Subsidiary Ledger
Click Add button
Enter details in
pop-up window
Click Save
In-Depth Look at Budget Sections
Navigate through
different areas of
the Fire Budget
using the left-hand
navigation areas (in
blue)
Revenue (F-2)
Mix of fields where you can add data, read-only calculated fields and subsidiary ledgers
Add data / rows to subsidiary ledgers
At bottom, click Save
Appropriations (F-3)
Mix of fields where you can add data, read-only calculated fields and subsidiary ledgers
Add data / rows to subsidiary ledger
At bottom, click Save
Health Benefits (N-5)
Two editable fields: Is medical coverage provided by the SHBP? (Yes/No) and Is prescription drug coverage provided by the SHBP? (Yes/No)
Remainder are read-only calculated fields and subsidiary ledgers
At bottom, click Save
Accumulated Absence (N-6)
One subsidiary
ledger with one
calculated field
After adding data
to subsidiary
ledgers, click Save
at bottom
Levy Cap Summary (F-10)
No fields to be
manually entered
All fields in this
section will be
automatically
calculated and are
read-only
Levy Cap Calculation Summary
Enter data for all
fields
Projected Tax
Rate based on
Proposed Levy
will automatically
calculate after you
click Save
Shared Services (F-11)
One subsidiary
ledger & read-only
calculated fields
After adding data
to subsidiary
ledger, click Save
at bottom
Notes & Attachments
View any Notes or
Attachments that
have been added to
this Fire Budget
More importantly:
Generate
Budget
Document here!
Just click the
button:
Generate Fire Budget Report
Click on the Notes
and Attachments
section
Click the Generate
Budget Document
button at the
bottom
Generate a Report
Timeline
Municipalities & Counties: CY 2018 and SFY 2019 Budget
Submission
Fire Districts: 2019 Budget Submission (Pilot program for
2018 Budget Submission)
Authority Budgets – June 30, 2019 year end Budget
Submissions (Pilot Program for earlier year ends)
Training
Webinars
Open Office Hours
User Manuals
Help Desk Support
** Details to be announced soon. Updates will be sent via
GovConnect and posted at:
http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dlgs/fast.html
The Future of FAST
…and DLGS
Questions?