Term
Fund
Also known as: fund type
A separate "account" in the City's books, each meant for a specific purpose. The City has many funds, and money generally can't move freely between them.
A city doesn't keep all its money in one account. It keeps dozens of "funds," each a separate pot with its own rules about what the money can be spent on — some set by state law, some by grants, some by voter-approved measures. The General Fund is the one the City has the most discretion over; most other funds are restricted to a stated purpose, so a surplus in one fund usually cannot be used to cover a shortfall in another.