Budgets

[Kieth]

Our bylaws state that the Board transacts the general business of the Club, considers questions of policy and presents recommendations to the Club for approval. Changes in basic policy and expenditures of Unbudgeted funds must be approved by the Club membership. The Board may contact the Club membership for approval of an action if a meeting cannot be called within the necessary time frame. 

Q: when is something considered ’unbudgeted’? If it is in the budget presented to the Club for approval is it budgeted? If it is a new line item not in last years budget is it still considered budgeted or is it Unbudgeted?  

Q: this bylaw never mentions the word budget but we still have to present one to the Club for approval? What constitutes approval? The bylaws don’t say we even need approval unless it’s unbudgeted. But what is unbudgeted? 

Problem: a new line item was added to our last budget by the Board. We were told it was ‘unbudgeted’ as it was new. We were told we should have presented  it in writing at a previous meeting  so they made us remove it from the budget.   Then we tried to contact the club for approval before the next meeting because we didn’t have time to wait for approval  until the next meeting. We were told we couldn’t do that either because we had to have a discussion first  before voting. Now we have another budget coming up with another new line item. Since it’s a new Board we can’t present it in writing at a previous meeting to the upcoming budget approval meeting because we won’t be elected yet at the previous meeting. Its a catch 22, I don’t know how to get around. 

 

Edited February 20, 2018 at 04:28 AM by Kieth
Mis-spelling

[J. J.]

RONR does not deal with budgets specifically. 

Budgets, when adopted, would be a main motion.  As an adopted main motion, any changes to a budget would be treated as the motion to Amend Something Previously Adopted.  That generally requires a majority vote with previous notice, a 2/3 vote, or a vote of a majority of the entire membership.

There is no rule in RONR requiring your group to have a budget; your rules may. 

Edited February 20, 2018 at 05:49 AM by J. J.

[Josh Martin]

15 hours ago, Kieth said:

Q: when is something considered ’unbudgeted’? If it is in the budget presented to the Club for approval is it budgeted? If it is a new line item not in last years budget is it still considered budgeted or is it Unbudgeted?  

Q: this bylaw never mentions the word budget but we still have to present one to the Club for approval? What constitutes approval? The bylaws don’t say we even need approval unless it’s unbudgeted. But what is unbudgeted? 

Approval is when the club adopts the motion to approve the budget. That part is pretty simple.

Whether your bylaws require adoption of a budget, and what constitutes whether an expenditure is “budgeted” or “unbudgeted” is a matter of interpreting your bylaws.

15 hours ago, Kieth said:

Since it’s a new Board we can’t present it in writing at a previous meeting to the upcoming budget approval meeting because we won’t be elected yet at the previous meeting.

If you aren’t elected yet, how do you even know that “we” will be on the board after the elections?

Regardless, have you talked to the current board members about whether they would be willing to recommend this proposed budget to the society? That would seem to resolve the problem.

Edited February 20, 2018 at 07:47 PM by Josh Martin