City of Surrey 2016 Annual Report

NOTESTOTHE CONSOLIDATED CITY OF SURREY  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended December 31, 2016 [tabular amounts in thousands of dollars]

1. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED) j) Non-financial assets Non-financial assets are not available to discharge existing liabilities and are held for use in the provision of services. They have useful lives extending beyond the current year and are not intended for sale in the ordinary course of operations. i) Tangible capital assets Tangible capital assets are recorded at cost, which includes all amounts that are directly attributable to acquisition, construction, development or betterment of the asset. The cost, less residual value, of the tangible capital assets, excluding land, are amortized on a straight line basis over their estimated useful lives as follows:

ASSET

USEFUL LIFE - YEARS

Land improvements

12 - 60 10 - 50 10 - 100 5 - 40

Buildings and improvements

Infrastructure

Machinery and equipment

Annual amortization is charged commencing on the date the asset is acquired or available for use. Work-in-progress amounts are not amortized until the asset is put into service. ii) Interest capitalization The City does not capitalize interest costs associated with the acquisition or construction of a tangible capital asset except for development properties of SCDC. iii) Contributions of tangible capital assets Tangible capital assets received as contributions are recorded at their fair value at the date of receipt and are recorded as revenue. These assets include some land, road infrastructure, water and wastewater infrastructure, machinery and equipment assets. iv) Intangible assets Intangible assets, including works of art and historic assets are not recorded as assets in these financial statements. v) Leases Leases are classified as capital or operating leases. Leases that transfer substantially all the benefits and risks incidental to ownership of the property are accounted for as capital leases and the related asset and obligation are recorded on the statement of financial position. All other leases are accounted for as operating leases and the related lease payments are expensed as incurred. vi) Inventories of supplies Inventories of supplies held for consumption are recorded at the lower of cost and replacement cost. k) Use of estimates The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. Significant estimates include assumptions used in estimating contributed tangible capital assets, developer contributions, useful lives for amortization, provisions for accrued liabilities, contingencies and in performing actuarial valuations of employee future benefits.

Actual results could differ from these estimates.

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