GA Code § 36-81-2 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 36 - Local Government|Chapter 81 - Budgets and Audits|Article 1 - Local Government Budgets and Audits|§ 36-81-2. Definitions

 As used in this article, the term:    "Budget" means a plan of financial operation embodying an estimate of proposed expenditures during a budget period and the proposed means of financing them.   "Budget officer" means that local government official charged with budget preparation and administration for the local government. The official title of the local government budget officer shall be as provided by local law, charter, ordinance, or appropriate resolution of the governing authority.   "Budget ordinance," "ordinance," or "resolution" means that governmental action which appropriates revenues and fund balances for specified purposes, functions, or activities for a budget period.   "Budget period" means the period for which a budget is proposed or a budget ordinance or resolution is adopted.   "Capital projects fund" means a fund used to account for financial resources to be used for the acquisition or construction of major capital facilities other than those financed by resources from proprietary type activities which are accounted for in enterprise funds or those financed with funds held by the local government in a trustee capacity.   "Debt service fund" means a fund used to account for the accumulation of resources for and the payment of general long-term debt principal and interest.   "Enterprise fund" means a fund used to account for operations that are financed and operated in a manner similar to private business enterprises where the intent of the governing authority is that the costs of providing goods and services to the general public on a continuing basis be financed or recovered primarily through user charges or where the governing authority has decided that periodic determination of revenues earned, expenses incurred, or net income is appropriate for capital maintenance, public policy, management control, accountability, or other purposes. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "costs" means expenses, including depreciation.   "Fiduciary fund" means those trust and agency funds used to account for assets held by a local government in a trustee capacity or as an agent for individuals, private organizations, other governmental units, or other funds.   "Fiscal year" means the period for which a budget is proposed or a budget ordinance or resolution is adopted for the local government's general fund, each special revenue fund, if any, and each debt service fund, if any.   "Fund" means a fiscal and accounting entity with a self-balancing set of accounts recording cash and other financial resources, together with all related liabilities and residual equities or balances, and changes therein, which is segregated for the purpose of carrying on specific activities or attaining certain objectives in accordance with special regulations, restrictions, or limitations.   "General fund" means the fund used to account for all financial resources except those required to be accounted for in another fund.   "Governing authority" means that official or group of officials responsible for governance of the unit of local government.   "Internal service fund" means a fund used to account for the financing of goods or services provided by one department or agency to other departments or agencies of the governmental unit or to other governmental units on a cost-reimbursement basis.   "Legal level of control" means the lowest level of budgetary detail at which a local government's management or budget officer may not reassign resources without approval of the governing authority. The legal level of control shall be, at a minimum, expenditures for each department for each fund for which a budget is required. This does not preclude the governing authority of a local government from establishing a legal level of control at a more detailed level of budgetary control than the minimum required legal level of control.   "Special revenue fund" means a fund used to account for the proceeds of specific revenue sources, other than those for major capital projects or those held by the government in a trustee capacity, that are legally restricted to expenditure for specified purposes.   "Unit of local government," "unit," or "local government" means a municipality, county, consolidated city-county government, or other political subdivision of the state. Such terms do not include any local school district or board of education. For purposes of this paragraph, "county" includes any county officer who is paid in whole or in part on a salary basis and over whom the county governing authority exercises budgetary authority.    (Ga. L. 1980, p. 1738, § 3; Ga. L. 1984, p. 22, § 36; Ga. L. 1987, p. 3, § 36; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1611, § 1.)