Accounting Procedures

Utah Code tit. 17, ch. 17-63, pt. 17-63-P2

in effect

Utah Code § 17-63-201 Fiscal period -- Annual or biennial.

17-63-201. Fiscal period -- Annual or biennial. (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), the fiscal period for each county is an annual period beginning on January 1 of each year and ending December 31 of the same calendar year. (2) (a) Notwithstanding Subsection (1), a county legislative body may, by ordinance, adopt for the county a fiscal period that is a biennial period beginning January 1 and ending December 31 of the following calendar year. (b) Each legislative body adopting an ordinance under Subsection (2)(a) shall separately specify in the county budget the amount of ad valorem property tax the county intends to levy and collect during both the first half and the second half of the budget period. (c) Each county that adopts a fiscal period that is a biennial period under Subsection (2)(a) shall: (i) comply with Sections 59-2-912 through 59-2-926 as if the county had adopted a fiscal period that is an annual period; and (ii) allocate budgeted revenues and expenditures to each of the two annual periods in the biennial budget. (d) The legislative body of each county that adopts a fiscal period that is a biennial period under Subsection (2)(a) shall, within 10 days after the adoption of the ordinance adopting the biennial period, deliver a copy of the ordinance to the state auditor. Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 13, 2025 Special Session 1

Utah Code § 17-63-202 Counties to utilize uniform system of fiscal procedures.

17-63-202. Counties to utilize uniform system of fiscal procedures. (1) The state auditor shall prescribe a uniform system of fiscal procedures, as described in Section 17E-2-401, for counties. (2) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (2)(b), a county may expand the uniform system prescribed by the state auditor to serve better the county's needs. (b) A county may not deviate from or alter the basic prescribed classification system for the identity of funds and accounts. Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 13, 2025 Special Session 1

Utah Code § 17-63-203 Basis of accounting -- Required funds and accounts -- Lapse of appropriations.

17-63-203. Basis of accounting -- Required funds and accounts -- Lapse of appropriations. (1) A county shall use either accrual or modified accrual, as prescribed in the uniform system of budgeting, accounting, and reporting, as the basis of accounting to record county transactions. (2) In the county system of accounts, each county shall maintain the following funds or account groups that are appropriate to the county's needs: (a) a county general fund; (b) special revenue funds; (c) debt service funds to account for the retirement of general obligation bonds or other long-term indebtedness including the payment of interest; (d) capital project funds, as required to account for the application of proceeds from the sale of general obligation bonds or other general long-term debt, or funds derived from other sources, to the specific purposes for which they are authorized; (e) a separate fund for each utility or enterprise such as an airport fund, a sewer fund, a water fund, or other similar funds; (f) intragovernmental service funds; (g) fiduciary funds such as a cemetery perpetual-care fund or a retirement fund; (h) a separate fund for each special improvement district, which shall be known as a special assessment fund; (i) a ledger or group of accounts to record the details relating to the general fixed assets of the county; (j) a ledger or group of accounts to record the details relating to the general obligation bonds or other long-term indebtedness of the county; (k) municipal services fund as required in Chapter 78, Part 5, Provision of Municipal-Type Services to Unincorporated Areas; and (l) any other funds for special purposes required or established under the uniform system of budgeting, accounting, and reporting. (3) The county shall classify the funds and account groups established under the authority of this section according to the procedures established by this chapter. (4) All appropriations shall lapse following the close of the budget period to the extent that the appropriation is unexpended or unencumbered. Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 13, 2025 Special Session 1

Utah Code § 17-63-204 Retained earnings -- Accumulation -- Restrictions -- Disbursements.

17-63-204. Retained earnings -- Accumulation -- Restrictions -- Disbursements. (1) (a) A county may accumulate: (i) retained earnings in any enterprise or internal service fund; and (ii) a fund balance in any fund that is not an enterprise or internal service fund. (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (1)(a), use of the county general fund shall be restricted to the following purposes: (i) to provide cash to finance expenditures from the beginning of the budget period until general property taxes, sales taxes, or other revenues are collected; (ii) to provide a fund or reserve to meet emergency expenditures; and (iii) to cover unanticipated deficits for future years. (2) (a) The maximum accumulated unappropriated surplus in the county general fund, as determined before adoption of the tentative budget, may not exceed an amount equal to the greater of: (i) (A) for a county with a taxable value of $750,000,000 or more and a population of 100,000 or more, 25% of the total revenues of the county general fund for the current fiscal period; or (B) for any other county, 65% of the total revenues of the county general fund for the current fiscal period; and (ii) the estimated total revenues from property taxes for the current fiscal period. (b) Any surplus balance in excess of the above computed maximum shall be included in the estimated revenues of the county general fund budget for the next fiscal period. (3) Any fund balance exceeding 5% of the total county general fund revenues may be used for budgetary purposes. (4) (a) A county may appropriate funds from estimated revenue in any budget period to a reserve for capital improvements within any capital improvements fund which has been duly established by ordinance or resolution. (b) Money in the reserves shall be allowed to accumulate from fiscal period to fiscal period until the accumulated total is sufficient to permit economical expenditure for the specified purposes. (c) Disbursements from the reserves shall be made only by transfer to a revenue account within a capital improvements fund in accordance with an appropriation for the fund. (d) Expenditures from the capital improvement budget accounts shall conform to all requirements of this chapter as it relates to the execution and control of budgets. Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 13, 2025 Special Session 1

Source: Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel (le.utah.gov)URL: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title17/Chapter63/17-63-P2.html?v=C17-63-P2_2025110620251206Fetched: 10/26/2026