Ports do the accounting and financial reporting for their activities very much like a business. They collect revenues by performing services for customers and pay for expenses related to those services. As a municipal government, Ports collect property tax revenues from property owners within the Port District. Ports will often use tax revenues to pay for debt incurred to construct facilities that are used to support port functions.
Ports may issue General Obligation Bonds or Revenue Bonds as a means to borrow money to finance projects. Most commonly, the bonds pay tax-exempt interest to the purchasers of the bonds.
