Budget vote

[Guest Bill Edwards]

Our organization is suffering during these economic times. We have an excellent budget committee who have worked for months to develope a 2011 budget. When brought to the full assembly for a vote, one item of the overall budget was objectionable to several, who lobbied during the meeting and actually defeated a motion to approve the budget by a very slim margin. The budget was presented as a bare bones, "all we can afford this year" budget.

What do we do now, taking the budget up or down will NOT help with these folks. They are hung up on the one item which is being eliminate due to previous contract obligations. Can the executive committee move forward with the new budget without final approval of the full assembly? If not, what is our next step. we do not feel a postive vote will occur at this time.

[hmtcastle]

Can the executive committee move forward with the new budget without final approval of the full assembly? If not, what is our next step.

No one here knows what authority your executive committee has; you'll find that out by examining your bylaws.

As for the budget, if it hasn't yet been adopted, make a motion to amend (change) it to reflect the changing economic conditions. If it has been adopted, it may still be possible to amend it (as long as the money hasn't been spent), though the voting threshold to amend a motion after it's been adopted is higher than to amend it before it's been adopted.

The bottom line is that very little is carved in stone.

[jstackpo]

Next meeting - or at a special meeting if (a) time is short and (2) your bylaws authorize calling one - anybody is free to move to strike the "objectionable" item from the proposed budget, as an amendment to the "Adopt the budget" motion. Or whatever amendment(s) are appropriate may be made.

Until something gets adopted, the ExecComm is on mighty thin ice spending anything. Remember a few years back the Federal Govt. was shut down because the budget had not been adopted? It happens.