Budget: 2009

I've posted the 2009 P&C Budget
because:

1. Members are supposed to vote on it tomorrow

2. Copies of it were not included in the mailing that solicited members' proxy ballots for approval (in a mailing that was postmarked only 6 days before the Dec. 16th meeting.)

3. It is has a serious problem: of the $33,282 collected from the dues for the Building Fund, only $8,446 will be available to go there -- everything else has been allocated towards the operational expenses included in this budget.

I also have some other questions,
like,
*does the $5,000 increase in model fees
mean that the models will be given the hourly raise
that some have asked for ?

*what is the $8,400 "Service Charge"?

******


and..

you might have some questions, too.

But the problem is
the proxy votes to approve this budget
will have been received
before any discussion of it with the members
will ever take place.

********************

Note:

in response, the Treasurer has explained that:

1. Expenses include $18,000 in depreciation (which is not actually cash out the door)
2. "Service Charges" refer to the credit card discount
3. The model expenses were increased to account for more hours of open workshops

But, even after we subtract out the $18,000 in depreciation,
it still looks like operational expenses
will exceed operational income
by about $7,000
(while that difference in the budget for 2008
was less than $600)

How might one determine
whether our budget is balanced?
Was that question ever even asked ?
(so far, I've been given no answer for it)

But, I suppose
nobody cares about it besides myself
(and the office tells me that only ONE
of the 50 people who voted for approval
asked to see a copy of the budget before voting)