Allocation or Budget Allocation
A Department's share of County General Fund revenues. It is a Departments legal spending limit.
Allocated Costs
Each department’s share of general county costs such as insurance, facility costs, debt service, General Services Department costs, central information technology costs, agency overhead costs.
Appropriation or Budget Appropriation
A department can spend no more than their budgeted appropriation.
Base Budget – (also referred to as no growth budget)
Based on a department’s current staffing and current program levels, with next year’s higher (or lower) costs.
General Fund
The major countywide fund. The fund is used to account for all financial resources, except those required to be accounted for in another fund such as rates for water and garbage service.
General Fund monies from local state and property tax are discretionary. General fund monies coming from federal and state sources, including realignment funds and Prop 172 are not discretionary, meaning they are dedicated to specific programs.
General Fund – Discretionary Funds
Some General Fund revenues, such as sales and property tax, are discretionary, meaning the County can decide how best to spend them. Some General Funds are not discretionary, meaning that the funds must go to specific purposes, and include realignment, Prop 172, and some federal and state monies.
General Purpose Revenue
Revenue such as property tax and sales tax that are used to fund the County’s share of General Fund programs. These are also referred to as Local Resources.
Net County Costs
Departmental appropriations less all available departmental revenues. Departments receive an allocation of their share of the County’s general revenues to cover their net County cost. In other words, these are the portion of the department general fund spending limit (appropriation) for which the County must cover the cost.
Revenues
Income expected from other sources such as fees, and state or federal payments.
More Budget Terms for 2010
