The New and Improved Budget

So what is all the hullabaloo about the Budget? The new Treasurer puts it forward and we go out of our minds and turn it down. We may, after careful review turn it down again. We expected the new Treasurer Howard O'Brien to be a stand up guy. To do the right things. We expected him to be a better treasurer than he appears to be.

It appears as if Ed Black and David Israel got to him and put him on notice that he does things their way or the highway.

O'Brien can't seem to answer Delegates questions. Forget about answering fully, but not even close to fully. What is wrong here?

The Budget as published in the Recorder is the Budget as prepared for the January 20 Town Hall Meeting which never happened. The budget has been modified since then, so the published Budget is out of date already. If Israel thinks this meets the requirement that the Budget has to be published for 30 days before a vote. It don"t.

Now for some details. I am not a CPA. I have had some advice from a practicing CPA and this is some of the problems with the new and corrected Budget.

The laundry. 8 New machines were put into the laundry. Their expected life is 9-10 years. Our machines have been going longer that that with out major repair So why is there a line item showing $22,000 expense.

The Reporter shows an increase to $122,000 from a $112,000. One of the problems the reporter has is that it publishes to many copies of the newspaper, way to many. Most Condos throw out close to 1/2 of what is delivered. Whats the cost there? What is happening to the advertising revenue?

The last comment I have to make is that the budget is set up to compare last years budget to this (the new) budget. We see increases and decreases when compared. But I would like to see actual expenses compared to the budget. So I can look and see the expenses from last year as compared to the forcasted (Budgeted) expenses for the coming year. But then again I am not a CPA, so what do I know. I know this, if they want me to pass on this budget they better let me see the numbers clearer. Otherwise I will vote it DOWN!

You, the Delegates, should Vote this new and Improved Budget down until they change the Numbers of the budget to reflect reality and not illusion.