Page 579 - Bedford-FY25-26 Budget
P. 579

Policies:  Financial policies are used to enable the City to achieve a sound  nancial position. They are updated and
            Financial
            endorsed by the City Council on an annual basis.
                 Year:  The  time  period  designated  by  the  City  signifying  the  beginning  and  ending  period  for  recording   nancial
            Fiscal
            transactions. The City of Bedford has designated this period to be October 1 through September 30.
            Fixed  Costs:  Costs that are legally or contractually mandated, such as retirement, FICA/Social Security, insurance, debt service
            costs, or interest on loans.

            Full-time equivalent (FTE):
            of our personnel summary, 2,080 hours is equal to one (1) FTE for all divisions except for Emergency Operations in the Fire
            Department, in which 2,730 hours is equal to one (1) FTE.

            Fund:  An accounting entity with a self-balancing set of accounts that are segregated for the purpose of carrying on identi ed
            activities or attaining certain objectives in accordance with speci c regulations, restrictions, or limitations.

            Fund  Accounting:  Organizing  nancial records into multiple, segregated locations for money. A fund is a distinct entity within
            the  municipal  government  in  which   nancial  resources  and  activity  (assets,  liabilities,  fund  balances,  revenues,  and
            expenditures) are accounted for independently in accordance with speci c regulations, restrictions or limitations. Examples of
            funds include the general fund and enterprise funds. Communities whose accounting records are organized according to the
            Uniform Municipal Accounting System (UMAS) use multiple funds.


            Fund  Balance:
            2) Restricted, 3) Committed, 4) Assigned, 5) Unassigned. Portions of the fund balance may be reserved for various purposes
            such as contingencies or encumbrances at the end of the  scal year.
            Fund  Type:  In governmental accounting, all funds are classi ed into eight fund types: General, Special Revenue, Debt Service,
            Capital Projects, Special Assessment, Enterprise, Internal Service, and Trust and Agency.

            GASB:  The Governmental Accounting Standards Board. The GASB establishes accounting and  nancial reporting standards for
            U.S. state and local governments that follow generally accepted accounting principals (GAAP).


            GASB 34:
            and content of governmental  nancial statements. GASB 34 requires a report on overall  nancial health, not just on individual
            funds. It requires more complete information on the cost of delivering value estimates on public infrastructure assets, such as
            bridges, road, sewers, etc. It also requires the presentation of a narrative statement the government's  nancial performance,
            trends and prospects for the future.

                 45:  This is another Governmental Accounting Standards Board major pronouncement that each public entity account
            GASB
            for and report other post employment bene ts in its accounting statements. Through actuarial analysis, municipalities must
            identify the true costs of the OPEB earned by employees over their estimated years of actual service.

            General  Fund:  The fund used to account for all  nancial resources except those required to be accounted for in another fund.
            The  General  Fund  is  tax  supported  and  includes  most  of  the  basic  operating  services,  i.e.,  police,   re,  streets,  parks  and
            recreation, and administration.


            General Obligation Bonds:
            credit of its taxing authority.
                                                            Detailed  accounting  standards  and  practices  for  state  and  local
            Generally   Accepted   Accounting   Principles   (G. A. A.P.):
            governments as prescribed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).
            GFOA:  The Government Finance Of cers Association of the United States and Canada. The mission of the GFOA is to enhance
            and  promote  the  professional  management  of  governments  for  the  public  bene t  by  identifying  and  developing   nancial
            policies  and  best  practices  and  promoting  their  use  through  education,  training,  facilitation  of  member  networking,  and
            leadership.

            Governing Body:  A board, committee, commission, or other executive or policymaking body of a municipality or school district.

            Governmental Funds:  Applies to all funds except for the pro t and loss funds (e.g., enterprise fund).




                City of Bedford, TX | Proposed Budget FY 2025-2026                                         Page 579
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