Budget Ledgers

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Purpose

This section explains the types of budget ledgers used at Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder and clarifies how ledger behavior differs depending on fund type.

Understanding ledger structure helps units:

  • Interpret budget balances correctly
  • Make appropriate budget adjustments
  • Avoid confusion between planning tools and spending authority

General Fund Budget Ledgers (Funds 10 and 11)

(General Fund Budget and Spending Authority)

For General Fund speedtypes, budget creates spending authority.

  • Spending authority is the amount of funds available to spend on university-approved expenses.
  • Spending authority is subject to specific rules for transfers between fund types. (Refer to the Cash and Fund Balance Transfer resource for detailed guidance.)

Continuing and Temporary Budget

A unit’s General Fund budget consists of continuing and temporary components:

  • ÌýÌýContinuing budget
    Represents recurring resource allocations
    Is rolled forward (renewed) each fiscal year
    The annual continuing roll-forward process is managed through Anaplan
  • ÌýÌýTemporary budget
    Is available only until it is expended or transferred
    Does not automatically renew

At fiscal year-end (FYE), any positive or negative General Fund budget balance is referred to as cash carry-forward or temporary roll-forward (TROLL). This balance is rolled forward into the new fiscal year as temporary operating budget through a process managed by Budget & Fiscal Planning (BFP).

Budget Ledger Types

Two types of budget ledgers are used in the finance system:

  • (1) Current Budget LedgersÌýare used for adjustments and transfers during the fiscal year:
    • B_CUR_CONT – Current Continuing
    • B_CUR_TEMP – Current Temporary
  • (2) Initial Budget Ledgers are used to establish the fiscal year’s starting budget:
    • B_INI_CONT – Initial Continuing
    • B_INI_TEMP – Initial Temporary

Initial budget ledgers are restricted to BFP journals.

Non-General Fund Budget Ledgers (Funds 2x, 34, 36, 72, 78)

(Planning vs. Spending Authority)

For Non-General Funds (including auxiliaries and plant funds):

  • Budget is a planning tool and does not provide spending authority.
  • Spending authority is determined by available cash or fund balance, depending on fund type.
  • For example:
    • Auxiliary funds: revenue earned provides spending authority
    • General Fund: budget provides spending authority

Spending authority (budget-based or cash-based) is subject toÌýspecific transfer rules between fund types. Refer to the Cash and Fund Balance Transfer Table resource for guidance.

Budget Adjustments

  • Adjustments to Non-General Fund budget plans are made in the current temporary ledger (B_CUR_TEMP).
  • These adjustments support planning, reporting, and forecasting, but do not change spending authority.

ÌýÌýWhy this matters: Having a clear understanding of budget ledgers:

  • Prevents misinterpretation of balances
  • Avoids inappropriate reliance on budget where cash controls spending
  • Supports compliant and accurate financial management