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Budget Process <br />Basis of Budgeting <br />The City of Louisville uses a "cash basis" of <br />budgeting for all fund types. Encumbrances and <br />depreciation are not budgeted. City expenditures <br />may not exceed the amounts appropriated. In the <br />case of an emergency or a contingency, which was <br />not reasonably foreseeable, a budget amendment <br />would be required. <br />The City's budget is constructed on a calendar year <br />basis as required by 29-1-101, et seq., C.R.S. The <br />budget must present a complete financial plan for <br />the City; setting forth all estimated expenditures, <br />revenues, and other financing sources for the <br />ensuing budget year, together with the <br />corresponding figures for the previous fiscal year. <br />In estimating the anticipated revenues, consideration <br />must be given to any unexpected surpluses and the <br />historical percentage of tax collections. Further, the <br />budget must show a balanced relationship between <br />the total proposed expenditures and the total <br />anticipated revenues with the inclusion of beginning <br />funds. <br />Basis of Accounting <br />All governmental fund types use the modified <br />accrual basis of accounting. Under the modified <br />accrual basis of accounting, revenues are recognized <br />when susceptible to accrual (i.e., when they become <br />both measurable and available). "Measurable" <br />means the amount of the transaction can be <br />determined and "available" means collectible within <br />the current period or soon enough thereafter to be <br />used to pay liabilities of the current period. <br />Expenditures are recorded when the related fund <br />liability is incurred. Principal and interest on general <br />long-term debt are recorded as fund liabilities when <br />due. Those revenues susceptible to accrual are sales <br />taxes, property taxes, use taxes, and franchise tax. <br />Proprietary fund types utilize the accrual basis of <br />accounting. Under this method, revenues are <br />recorded when earned and expenses are recorded at <br />the time liabilities are incurred. <br />Bridging the Basis of Budgeting and <br />Accounting <br />Some of the differences between the cash basis of <br />budgeting and the accrual method of accounting are: <br />15 <br />Dent payment for principal — budgeted as an expense <br />item, adjusted at vear-end against the liability. <br />Depreciation — recorded for proprietary funds on an <br />accrual basis, eliminated for budget purposes. <br />Encumbrances— recorded as a reserve of fund balance <br />on the modified accrual basis, on a cash basis for <br />budgeting recorded as a <br />reserve of budgeted funds. <br />Compensated absences — adjust annually using the <br />accrual method, not budgeted but absorbed by <br />turnover and usage. <br />Tax revenue accruals — even though tax revenues are <br />accrued when they become collectable it will <br />translate to twelve months of tax revenue matching <br />twelve months of budgeted revenue. <br />Budget Amendment Policy <br />In the case of emergency or a contingency, which <br />was not reasonably foreseeable, the City Council <br />may authorize the expenditure of funds in excess of <br />the budget by a resolution adopted by a two-thirds <br />vote of the City council following proper notice. If <br />the City receives revenues which were unanticipated <br />at the time of adoption of the budget, the City <br />Council may authorize the expenditure thereof by <br />adopting a supplemental budget appropriation <br />resolution after proper notice and a hearing thereon. <br />The transfer of budgeted and appropriated monies <br />within a fund or benveen funds may be done only in <br />accordance with state law. <br />Budget Adoption Resolutions <br />The City Council actually implements the City's <br />budget by approving a series of resolutions. <br />Resolutions adopt the budget, establish <br />appropriations, and set tax levies, necessary to <br />execute a program for raising revenue and the <br />paying for services the City government provides. <br />Each resolution adopted to implement the 2002 <br />Operating Budget is summarized below. <br />Resolution 45, Series 2003 <br />A resolution adopting the City of Louisville's budget <br />