Q: What is the Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) and where can residents review the latest one?
A: The PAFR summarizes the 400-page Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and uses terms that allow residents to understand the county’s financial position. It features highlights from the comprehensive report and is designed to be straightforward and user-friendly for taxpayers without a background in public finance. To read the PAFR, visit our website (www.stjohnsclerk.com). We published a PAFR this fall for Fiscal Year 2022 to show how tax dollars are collected and spent, as well as recent trends on demographics, housing, taxes, and more.
Q: Why is the PAFR important for residents?
A: Annual financial reports issued in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are essential if governments are to meet their obligation to be accountable to their citizens. Unfortunately, the comprehensive level of detail found in many GAAP reports may confuse or discourage those unfamiliar with accounting and financial reporting. A PAFR is a way to communicate selected financial data to a broad audience.
Q: What is the Clerk and Comptroller’s role in handling county government’s finances?
A: Our office serves as the county’s accountant, internal auditor, and custodian of funds. We manage its investments, handle payroll, pay its bills, internal auditing, and prepare the ACFR and PAFR.
Q: How does your office help protect taxpayers and ensure accountability?
A: The clerk’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) performs internal audits and conducts fraud, waste, and abuse investigations of the operations and financial records of local government agencies, departments, employees, and others under the authority of the Board of County Commissioners. The OIG also performs audits and enforcement activities of the county Tourist Development Tax and conducts enhanced audits of guardianship inventories and accountings.
Q. What is the best way for residents to contact you?
A. Residents can call my office at (904) 819-3601 or my cell at (904) 599-8688. My email address is BPatty@stjohnsclerk.com. Many of your questions can be answered and many services are provided, such as paying traffic citations or searching records, by visiting our website, www.stjohnsclerk.com.
