ABSTRACT
Little known to many people is the fact that many units of government have what are essentially separate business operations embedded within their organizational structures. These units may take on a reasonably independent status and receive substantial support and patronage from the public, such as a municipal golf course or a municipal swimming pool. At the same time, many units of government may also have relatively obscure internal business-like operations such as a print shop, motor pool, or office space pool. Irrespective of how well known or unknown these business-type activities are, their financial transactions are recorded and reported as part of the government’s financial accounting and reporting systems, and all of these activities have counterparts in the private sector.
