Budget
A plan of financial operation containing an estimate of proposed expenditures for a given period (usually a fiscal year) and the proposed means of financing them. Since the typical budgeting process includes many budgets, it is often necessary to identify the specific budget being discussed with an adjective: baseline, department request, mayor's recommended, final, adjusted final, current, working, etc.

Budget Calendar
The schedule of key dates which is followed in the preparation, adoption, and administration of the budget.

Budget Ordinance
The legal document that enacts the final budget. (See Ordinance)

Budgetary Basis of Accounting
In accordance with provisions of the Charter and state law, the budget handles certain transactions differently from GAAP. The budget:

• Recognizes two general and two debt service funds.
• Treats transfers to and from a fund as revenues and expenditures (respectively).
• Does not recognize gross revenues and expenditures of certain fee accounts, which, by state law, may be expended by constitutional officials whose fees more than cover their offices' total operating costs.

Through FY 1998, each encumbrance was charged to the budget of the year when it was created. Beginning in FY 1999, encumbrances are not charged to the budget; the budget is only charged when an expenditure is incurred (which is often when ordered goods or services are received and the encumbrance is liquidated).

Budgetary Fund
The primary tax-supported funds of the Metropolitan Government:

The sum of their expenditures is usually cited as the total size of the budget.

Business Unit
Identifies the second highest level in the old Metro Chart of Accounts organization in which a specific activity is carried out; several divisions may comprise a single department.