County and Municipal Financial Compendium
Data Descriptions: Revenue Items
Data Descriptions: Expenditure Items
Data Descriptions: Auxiliary Items
Data Descriptions: Enterprise Items and Sub-Items
Local Government Finances
Colorado Economic & Demographic Information System (CEDIS)
Program Contacts:
Don Merrion
Division of Local Government
1313 Sherman Street, Room 521
Denver, Colorado 80203
303.866.3001
don.merrion@state.co.us
Overview:
The Division of Local Government has published an annual compendium of local government finances since 1975. The resulting
data have been computerized to allow simple access for time-series or cross-sectional analysis by people with an interest
in local government financial data. Financial and auxiliary data are available for all counties and incorporated municipalities
in Colorado.
Electronic Compendium:
The following links list the volumes of the Compendium that are available for download. Each year is divided into three files, one
each for counties, municipalities and totals (all in .pdf format). These data are also available in tabular form on the
Colorado Economic & Demographic Information System (CEDIS).
- 2004: Counties | Municipal | Totals
- 2003: Counties | Municipal | Totals
- 2002: Counties | Municipal | Totals
- 2001: Counties | Municipal | Totals
- 2000: Counties | Municipal | Totals
We extract the financial data provided in this database from each local government's annual financial statement (audit or exemption.) The data represent actual revenues and expenditures. Budget documents are sometimes used to help further break down aggregated audit figures. As we analyze the financial report for each government, we enter the data into the database. Due to the time allowed to prepare the audit reports and the time necessary to collect and publish the data, revenue and expenditure figures for all municipalities and counties are normally updated about fifteen months after the end of the calendar year. For instance, 1999 data input was completed by March 2001.
To simplify comparisons and enhance significance, we organize the data for each county and municipality to fit a model multipurpose government. The model financial operations are divided into two categories: general activities and enterprise activities. Activities accounted for in one category are not duplicated in the other, except intragovernmental service enterprise funds. Please see the Data Descriptions section of this document for a comprehensive description of the model.
Under general government activities the database includes all the typical revenue sources used to support the expenditure functions of general government, public safety, public works, health, culture & recreation, public welfare, plus capital outlay and debt service associated with these functions. Enterprise activities are operated as self-sufficient operations, not relying on taxing powers. These activities include water, sewer, gas, electric, transportation facilities, airports, hospitals and nursing homes, zoos, auditoriums, arenas, and stadiums. Intragovernmental service funds are also treated as enterprises.
In this database, all taxes are accounted for under general government activities. Tax revenue assigned or appropriated to an entity's enterprise activities or pension funds is counted in the general activities as tax revenue, then as a transfer to the particular activity on the expenditure side. You should note that where we can identify source data only by function, but not by specific activity, or where the source data represents two or more activities under a function, we record the data in the generic "other" category under the proper function. Cemetery trust funds or perpetual care funds, and improvement districts are not a part of the database. The outstanding debt figures do not include bonds being liquidated through trust accounts financed by refunding bonds. However, we account for the refunding bonds.
Data Descriptions: Revenue Items
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Total Revenue:
The total revenues derived to support the functions of general government, public safety, public works, health, culture & recreation, public welfare, and debt service & capital outlay for those functions. This does not include revenues derived in support of enterprise activities unless that revenue comes from taxes or transfers.
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Total Taxes:
The total revenue derived by imposition of various local levies upon persons or property, by the public entity, for public purposes.
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Property Tax:
The revenue derived from a local ad valorem levy on real property & certain categories of personal property.
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Specific Ownership Tax:
The revenue derived from the State formulated value levy on certain vehicles, and mobile equipment.
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Sales and Use Tax:
The revenue derived from a levy on the retail sales within an entity or the use of commodities purchased outside the taxing jurisdiction.
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Franchise Tax:
The revenue derived from various local levies imposed for the privilege of doing business or using public right-of-way.
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Occupation Tax:
The revenue derived from a local levy on employers or employees.
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Other Tax:
May include taxes such as accommodations tax, admissions tax, real estate transfer tax, gaming device tax and penalties & interest on taxes listed above. If taxes are not identified, they are also included here.
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Licenses and Permits:
Revenues derived from the sale of business licenses and permits allowing a business firm to function, and non-business licenses and permits that allow the performance of a specific activity. We also report non-enterprise developer contributions here.
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Total Intergovernmental Revenue:
Total revenues received from other governments as grants, shared revenues, payments in lieu of taxes, and receipt of charges, to support general activities. It does not include old age pensions.
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Total Federal:
Total revenue received from federal sources as grants, shared revenues, payments in lieu of taxes, and receipt of charges, to support general activities.
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Revenue Sharing:
Revenues received from the Federal Office of Revenue Sharing. The last payments from this program were in 1986.
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Total State:
Total revenue received from State sources as grants, shared revenues, payments in lieu of taxes, and receipt of charges, to support general activities. It does not include old age pensions or food stamps.
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Highway Users Tax:
The local share of the State's Highway User Tax Fund. Revenues are derived primarily from the State tax on gasoline.
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Cigarette Tax:
The local share of revenues derived from the collection of a tax levied on the sale of cigarettes by wholesalers.
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Motor Vehicle Registrations:
The local share of revenues derived from various additional motor vehicle registration fees imposed by the State.
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Conservation Trust Fund:
The local share of revenues derived from the State lottery.
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Social Services:
Revenues received from the State Department of Social Services to help cover county social service costs. This is a county revenue only and does not include old age pensions or food stamps.
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Other State:
Other revenues received from the State and not previously accounted for.
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Total Other Units:
Intergovernmental revenues received from entities other than the Federal or State governments. May include intergovernmental revenue which could not be further identified.
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Old Age Pension (not in totals):
Revenue received from the State's Old Age Pension Fund. Because it is strictly pass-through money to the county, we do not include it in any other totals.
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Charges for Services:
Charges for services designed to defray the cost of current services that are of particular benefit to the recipient. This category does not include utility enterprise charges or intergovernmental and intragovernmental payments.
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Fines and Forfeits:
Revenues received from penalties imposed for the commission of statutory offenses, violation of lawful administrative rules and regulations, neglect of official duties, and forfeits of deposits held as performance guarantees.
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Miscellaneous Revenues:
Includes earnings on deposits & investments, rents and royalties, special assessments, sales of, and compensation for loss of, assets, refunds of expenditures, contributions & donations, and other miscellaneous revenues.
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Interest:
That portion of miscellaneous revenues attributed to earnings on deposits and investments. This amount is already included in Miscellaneous Revenues (above.)
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Transfers from Enterprises:
Includes transfers and payments from enterprise activities to the general governmental activities. Transfer figures are net results.
Data Descriptions: Expenditure Items
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Total Operating Expenditures:
Total ongoing expenditures made in support of general governmental activities. These activities include general government, public safety, public works, health, culture & recreation, and public welfare. Operating expenditures do not include debt service or capital outlays in support of those activities.
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General Government:
Operating expenditures supporting the ongoing tasks associated with the management and administration of that local government.
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Judicial:
Operating expenditures for judicial activities in an entity. Costs include those for municipal or county court and county district attorney.
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Total Public Safety:
Total operating expenditures related to protecting persons & property from socially undesirable acts by persons or their products. Activities include police protection, jail, fire protection, and such functions as building inspection, civil defense, coroner, and communications.
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Law Enforcement and Jail:
Operating expenditures incurred in the provision of police services and jail operation.
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Fire:
Operating expenditures incurred in the provision of fire protection services.
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Other Public Safety:
Operating expenditures for public safety functions other than police, jail, and fire. This may include expenditures which cannot be further identified.
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Total Public Works:
Total operating expenditures related to the maintenance of roads, highways & streets, provision of solid waste handling, weed control and storm sewers. Capital forming work (construction) is not included here but is presented in the capital outlay category.
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Roads and Highways:
Operating expenditures related to the maintenance of roads and equipment, traffic services, snow removal, street lighting, and street and highway administration.
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Solid Waste Services:
Operating expenditures related to trash pickup, dump operations, and weed control.
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Other Public Works:
Operating expenditures related to storm sewer maintenance or public works expenditures which cannot be further identified.
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Health:
Operating expenditures related to protecting persons from non-human related forces, excluding hospitalization and welfare supported health protection. Functions include public health administration, health centers and general clinics, vital statistics, regulation and inspection of food and drugs, animal and pest control, mental health, ambulance service, and cemeteries.
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Culture and Recreation:
Operating expenditures related to leisure time activities. These include participant recreation, spectator recreation, parks, fairs, and libraries. Zoos, arenas, auditoriums, and stadiums are considered other enterprise activities.
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Social Services:
Operating expenditures, by a county, designed to provide public assistance and institutional care for individuals who are economically unable to provide for essential needs themselves. This does not include old age pensions or food stamps.
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Old Age Pension (Not in totals):
Money distributed to those eligible to receive State old age pensions. Because it is strictly pass-through monies, we do not include this expense in other entity totals.
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Miscellaneous Expenditures:
General operating expenditures that we cannot assign elsewhere for whatever reason.
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Transfers to Governments & Enterprises:
Includes transfers and payments to enterprise activities and other governments from the general government activities. Transfers to enterprises are net results.
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Capital Outlay:
Expenditures for the acquisition of capital goods, including land, buildings, equipment, and any improvements thereto.
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General Activity Debt Service:
Expenditures incurred for the payment of debt related to general government activities. Debt service for enterprise activities is not included.
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Principal - General:
Total principal payments on debt related to general government activities. Principal payments on enterprise debt are not included.
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Interest - General:
Total interest on debt related to general government activities. Interest on enterprise debt is not included.
Data Descriptions: Auxiliary Items
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Population:
The estimated population on July 1 of each calendar year, as prepared by the Colorado Division of Local Government Demographic Section.
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Rural Vehicle Registrations:
Colorado Department of Revenue estimate of all passenger, truck, truck tractor, and motorcycle registrations issued to persons residing within a county boundary but not within an incorporated town.
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Vehicle Registrations:
Colorado Department of Revenue estimate of all passenger, truck, truck tractor, and motorcycle registrations issued to persons residing within the particular municipal or county boundary.
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Miles of Road:
The mileage of open, used, and maintained streets in each municipality, less the amount of State highways.
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General Obligation Debt - General:
Total general obligation debt outstanding for general purposes.
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Revenue Debt - General:
Total revenue debt outstanding for general purposes.
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Improvement Debt:
Total local improvement debt outstanding. This debt is not a liability of the local government but instead is paid by special assessments on the property owners who directly benefit from the improvement.
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Other Debt - General:
Total other debt outstanding for general purposes. Usually consists of lease purchases, certificates of participation or loans payable.
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Assessed Value (000s):
Assessed value in thousands of dollars, as reported in the Colorado Division of Property Taxation Annual Report. The year associated with the assessed value is the same as the year of the property tax it generates, e.g., 1993 assessed value generates 1993 tax revenues.
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Retail Sales (000s):
Total retail sales, in thousands, for a particular calendar year, as reported by the Colorado Department of Revenue.
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State Sales Tax Paid:
Amount of State tax collected on a local government's retail sales, as reported by the Colorado Department of Revenue. Zeros may result due to confidentiality requirements.
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Current Assets:
Those assets, found in the balance sheet, which can be expected to be realized in cash or consumed within the following year. Among these are cash (restricted and unrestricted), investments, receivables, inventories, and prepaid expenses.
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Current Liabilities:
Those liabilities that can be expected to be paid within the following year, or will require the expenditure of a current asset. Among these are debt principal and interest due within one year, accounts payable, and customer deposits.
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Mill Levy:
The number of dollars of property tax levied on each $1,000 of assessed value for the support of a particular local government, as reported in the Colorado Division of Property Taxation Annual Report.
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Sales Tax Rate:
Local percentage tax levied against the retail sales of tangible personal property and some services, as reported by the Colorado Department of Revenue. This rate reflects only that percentage levied by the reported entity and as such an entity may have sales tax revenue but no sales tax rate (i.e., a county returns part of a county levy back to a municipality). We have annualized partial year levies.
Data Descriptions: Enterprise Items and Sub-Items
We define enterprise activities as those local government activities that, like a business, should normally be self-sustaining,
and generate funds from charges for services or sale of goods. Usually, if the potential for self-financing exists, regardless
of subsidies from other funds or direct tax levies, the activity is considered an enterprise. The following enterprise types
are used in this database:
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Combined Water & Sewer:
Data concerning the provision of a combined water and sewer service, or where certain information has been combined for the two activities.
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Water:
Data concerning the provision of water service by a particular local government.
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Sewer:
Data concerning the provision of sewer service by a particular local government. Storm sewer and solid waste services are not reflected here, but in the general activities database instead.
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Gas:
Data concerning the provision of natural gas service by a particular local government.
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Electric:
Data concerning the provision of electric service by a particular local government.
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Transportation:
Data concerning the provision of transportation service, usually as bus service, by a particular local government.
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Airport:
Data concerning the provision of airport facilities by a particular local government.
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Hospital:
Data concerning the provision of hospital service by a particular local government. Health department services and health clinic facilities are not reflected here, but in the general activities database instead.
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Intragovernmental Service:
Data concerning the provision of goods and services by one department or agency to other departments or agencies of the same local government on a cost reimbursement basis. Note: In an analysis of total revenue or expenditure items by a particular entity, this fund may need to be omitted or netted out, since the Charges for Service revenue reported here is counted as an expenditure elsewhere.
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Other Enterprise:
Data concerning the provision of auditorium and arena facilities, nursing homes, irrigation water, senior housing, or zoos, to name a few services provided by local governments.
Within each of the above enterprise categories are the following financial subcategories:
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Total Revenue:
The total dollar amount from all sources, collected in support of a particular enterprise.
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Charges for Services:
The recurring income resulting from the direct payment for service provided by service users.
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Tap/Development Fees:
"One time" income authorizing a specific activity to be performed. Tap fees, system development fees, permits, contributions in aid of construction are reported in this category.
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Intergovernmental Revenue:
The total revenue received from other governments, usually as grants, to support a particular enterprise activity.
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Transfers In:
Subsidies received from the general government or other enterprise activities of a particular local government. This category also includes any taxes levied for or by a particular enterprise. Tax revenue is considered a revenue source for general activities, and as such is reported as tax revenue in the general activities database, with an associated transfer out. Transfers are net figures.
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Other Revenue:
Includes interest revenue, refunds, sales of assets, and any other miscellaneous non-operating revenue collected by a particular enterprise.
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Operating Expenditures:
The current expenditures necessary, on an ongoing basis, to provide a particular service or function. Depreciation is not included. Payments to the general activities for administrative services are netted out and classified instead as transfers out.
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Principal Payments:
Principal payments made on the debt outstanding of a particular enterprise activity.
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Interest Payments:
Interest payments made on the outstanding debt of a particular enterprise. Agent's fees and related charges are also included.
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Capital Outlay:
The expenditures associated with the acquisition of capital goods, including land, buildings, equipment, and improvements thereto. Acquisition of water rights is also reported here.
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Transfers Out:
These are payments or subsidies to the general activities, other enterprises, or other governments. They may include payments in lieu of taxes and payments for administrative services, the expenditure for which is reported elsewhere.
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General Obligation Debt:
Debt backed by the property of the residents of a local government, which was issued for the purposes of a particular enterprise and has yet to be repaid.
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Revenue Debt:
Debt backed by the revenue flows of a particular enterprise or sales tax for the purposes of that enterprise and as yet unpaid.
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Other Debt:
Debt, other than general obligation or revenue, which was issued for the purposes of a particular enterprise and has yet to be repaid. This may include lease purchases, certificates of participation, loans, etc.
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Depreciation:
Non-monetary expense associated with the replacement of aging capital items.