Our analysis of the City as a whole begins on page 40. One of the most important questions asked about the City's finances is, "Is the City as a whole better off or worse off as a result of the year's activities?" The Statement of Net Position and the Statement of Activities report information about the City as a whole and about its activities in a way that answers this question. These statements include all assets and liabilities of the City using the accrual basis of accounting, which is similar to the accounting used by most private-sector companies. All of the current year's revenues and expenses are taken into account regardless of when cash is received or paid.

These two statements report the City's net position and changes in them. Net position is the difference between total assets and deferred outflows of resources less liabilities and deferred inflows, which is one way to measure the City's financial health, or financial position. Over time, increases or decreases in the City's net position are an indication of whether its financial health is improving or deteriorating. Other non-financial factors should be considered, however, such as changes in the economy that could cause a decrease in consumer spending.

Governmental activities – Most of the City’s basic services are reported in this category, including general administration (city manager, city clerk, finance, etc.), housing and redevelopment, public safety (police and fire protection), public works, parks, recreation and culture departments. Property taxes, sales tax, transient occupancy tax, user fees, interest income, franchise fees, state and federal grants, contributions from other agencies, and other revenues finance these activities.

Business-type activities – The City charges customers to cover all or most of the cost of certain services it provides. The City's municipal golf course, Desert Willow, and the City's Parkview Office Complex activities are reported in this category.

Component unit activities – The City includes one separate legal entity in its report – the Palm Desert Recreational Facilities Corporation. Although legally separate, this “component unit” is important because the City is financially accountable for it.

The fund financial statements provide detailed information about the most significant funds and other funds, not the City as a whole. Some funds are required to be established by State law and by bond covenants. However, management established many other funds to help it control and manage money for particular purposes or to show that it is meeting legal responsibilities for using certain taxes, grants, and other resources. The City has three types of funds: governmental, proprietary and fiduciary.

Governmental funds – Most of the City’s basic services are reported in governmental funds, which focus on how money flows in and out of those funds and the balances left at year-end that are available for spending. These funds are reported using an accounting method called modified accrual accounting, which measures cash and all other financial assets that can readily be converted to cash. The governmental fund statements provide a detailed short-term view of the City’s general government operations and the basic services it provides. Governmental fund information helps determine whether there are more or fewer financial resources that can be spent in the near future to finance the City’s programs. The differences of results in the Governmental Fund financial statements to those in the Government-wide financial statements are explained in a reconciliation following each Governmental Fund financial statement.