LMR_October FINAL 2018

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Reminder Regarding Capital Outlay Requests for FY 2019-2020 Proposed for Consideration in the 2019 Legislative Session By James Purpera Governmental Consulting The November 1st deadline for Capital Outlay Requests to be submitted for consideration in next year’s budget is not far away. If you are planning to request a new project or update or make a revision to a previously requested or currently funded project, you should be working on trying to finalize your cost and project description information. IMPORTANT Pursuant to recent changes in RS 39:102, requests for non-state projects are now required to include an estimate of the required local match and the amount of the local match expended. A new capital outlay request including a letter of support must be submitted for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 for any nonstate project granted a line of credit for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 (the current fiscal year). Even if your project is fully funded, underway, or even complete, if you have an outstanding Line of Credit or State General Fund Cash in the current year Capital Outlay Budget Act then technically this rule requires you to re-submit a capital outlay request to reflect the current status of your project. All capital outlay requests must include a physical location (address, closest intersection, etc.) of the project. All copied forward capital outlay requests (in eCORTS) must be revised to show “updated information” including prior funding, match information, scope, legislators, operating budget, etc. If you have been submitting capital outlay requests for years you will recall that, prior to the above referenced changes, projects for which a line of credit had been granted were not required to re-submit capital outlay requests for the amounts that had been previously granted a line of credit; however, now they are required to re-submit. There is a process for submitting requests after November 1st, but the late submittal process has limitations that affect what can be requested and the total project cost. November 1st is also the deadline for submittal of Legislator letters of endorsement for your Capital Outlay Request. The new website for the Capital Outlay Request eCORTS application is https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/ ecorts/default.cfm. If you have the old eCORTS address bookmarked, please update it to reflect this new address for eCORTS. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) submitting Capital Outlay Requests are required to also submit an NGO Supplemental Information/Disclosure form. The NGO database can be accessed from the joint legislative web page http://legis.state.la.us/ by clicking on the Fiscal Information link, then click on Enter a New Funding Request under the Non-Governmental Organizations heading. CAPITAL OUTLAY FUNDING OUTLOOK The outlook for Capital Outlay funding for the 2019 Legislative Session should be much better than it has been in recent years primarily for the following reasons: • The election for Governor and the Legislature is scheduled for November 2019, and election years have traditionally been good for Capital Outlay. • The recently approved sales tax extension should keep the State Revenue situation in good shape through 2025 so the Governor and Legislators will not be able to use the “fiscal cliff” argument as a reason to not help you with your Capital Outlay Requests in the 2019 Legislative Session. • For the past three years, the Administration has slowed down the addition of new projects to the Capital Outlay Budget to the point where now the approved project funding amount is becoming more closely aligned with the funding actually available in the Capital Outlay Escrow Account in the State Treasury. The goal of this slow-down was to decrease the huge backlog of approved projects waiting for funding; and to allow projects with actual funding to get to the point where they can be given the OK to proceed more quickly. The State Bond Commission is planning to have a Capital Outlay Bond Sale in early 2019, probably January; which should replenish the Capital Outlay Escrow Account to the level at which we will start to see more “funded” projects given the OK to proceed. Page 10 LMR | October 2018
A Word from Our Affiliates Premium Service New Growth and a Fresh Face at LaMATS Insurance Premium Tax Collection (IPT) Program By Cliff Palmer The list of Louisiana municipalities now receiving IPT revenues through the long-running LaMATS collection program has reached an all-time high. The majority of cities and towns (with 65 and 89 participating, respectively), nearly half the state’s 107 smallest incorporated communities, and several parishes now count on LaMATS to deliver on this vital budget item. Among the earliest of LaMATS technical services, the twenty-year old IPT program has grown significantly since 2010 IPT program growth has accelerated in recent years. and recently passed the two-thirds mark toward its goal of serving every LMA member municipality not collecting insurance premium taxes on its own. “This is a major milestone for us,” said LaMATS Board President, Mayor Clarence Fields. “We’re grateful to our participating local governments for their trust, and we’re eager to demonstrate our value to others.” What makes the IPT program so popular? With over 1,200 insurance companies doing business in Louisiana, it can be hard to ensure each pays its fair share for the privilege of that business. LaMATS collection service is proven to increase IPT revenues and streamline distribution while significantly reducing insurance companies’ delinquent payments. In all, $22.9 million in collected revenues now pass annually through the program and into the coffers of local governments across the state. And as it happens, every penny of that sum passes through the hands of LaMATS IPT Program Manager, Ms. Mary Joseph. Known by friends and colleagues as “MJ,” Mary joined the LaMATS team in October 2016 after working in the LMA’s accounting office since 2010. She takes her new responsibilities with a seriousness belied by the quick wit and ready smile she shares with co-workers and customers alike. Meeting LMA members’ needs and making sure every dollar is accounted for requires both order and creativity. While incoming funds from hundreds of insurance companies are carefully tallied and monthly checks are distributed to members, the value of the work lies in the trust municipalities give the program manager to operate on their behalf. The other part is pure detective work and sometimes it is necessary to track companies down and make sure they’re fully aware of their responsibilities. The companies seem to appreciate having a centralized point of contact statewide—a direct benefit to efforts at reducing delinquent payments. LaMATS looks forward to pushing the percentage of LMA members served as high as it can go in the coming years. To join the LaMATS IPT collection program, contact Mary Joseph, Program Manager, via email at mary@lamats.net _______________ IPT Program Manager Mary Joseph Editor’s Note: A heading in the September edition of the LMR incorrectly dates the LaMATS Board of Directors as 2017-18. All officers listed on page 11 of Vol. 83, No. 9, have been elected for the 2018-19 year. LMR | October 2018 Page 11
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