November 7, 2017
His Excellency Charles D. Baker Secretary Michael Heffernan
Governor Executive Office for Administration and Finance
Commonwealth of Massachusetts State House, Room 373
State House, Room 360 Boston, MA 02133
Boston, MA 02133
Chairman Jeffrey Sanchez Chairwoman Karen Spilka
House Ways and Means Committee Senate Ways and Means Committee
State House, Room 243 State House, Room 212
Boston, MA 02133 Boston, MA 02133
Mr. William Welch Mr. Steve James
Senate Clerk House Clerk
State House, Room 335 State House, Room 145
Boston, MA 02133 Boston, MA 02133
Re: FY17 Statutory Basis Financial Report Filing
Dear Governor Baker, Secretary Heffernan, Chairs Sanchez and Spilka, Mr. Welch and Mr. James:
I am filing this updated status report in light of emergency supplemental legislation approved by the Legislature on October 31, 2017 and signed by Acting Governor Polito on November 3, 2017. The legislation substantially alters the Commonwealth’s final accounting for FY 2017.
As noted in my letter dated October 31, 2017, the delayed enactment of the FY2017 final supplemental appropriations bill has made it impossible for the Comptroller’s Office to file the Statutory Basis Financial Report (SBFR) by October 31 pursuant to M.G.L. c.7A, s. 12, or to certify and report on that date the Consolidated Net Surplus (CNS) as required by M.G.L. c. 29, s. 5C.
With the enactment of the FY2017 final supplemental appropriations bill, we have closed the books for FY 2017. As soon as practical my Office will implement the requisite transactions in the state accounting system, record those transactions in the Commonwealth’s statutory basis financial statements, finalize and submit the SBFR for review to our external auditors, and file the SBFR pursuant to M.G.L. c.7A. We will also certify and report the CNS pursuant to c. 29, s. 5C at that time. I expect that this process will be completed by mid-November, at which time I will issue the SBFR.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey S. Shapiro, Esq.
Acting Comptroller of the Commonwealth