How Badly Is the Budget Over-Spent?

On Page 1 of the monthly Financial Statements of the HOAs you can see the categories of the budget that are over-spent. Let's look at each one, using the latest (September 2024) as an example. The YTD (Year-to-Date) amount is for nine months, not the full year.

Line GL-5010 Electricity/Lighting Repair. Over-budget $3,842.67 (47%). New light poles, securing light poles, dawn to dusk lights at the office. (Not dusk-to-dawn?)

Line GL-5040 Pool Maintenance Contract. Over-budget $1,048.77, because yearly fee for pool fob system had not been budgeted for.

Line GL-5111 Irrigation Contract. Over-budget $35,010.00 (62%). A Note explains "The 2024 budget is $75,000, and the monthly contracted cost is $10,140." Thus, the yearly amount is $121,680). How did that happen??? Why the subterfuge of mixing the annual budget amount with the monthly contracted amount?

Line GL-6005 On-Site Staff. Over-budget $17,815.31 (16%). See the Note. "The board is aware as to the reason..." OK, so what IS the reason? Why not tell the Members???

Line GL-6007 Pool Monitors. Over-budget $26,970 (83%). Because the gate key fobs did not work correctly and the HOA had to hire someone to sit at the pool. That gate-key fob system is looking more and more like it was a bad deal. 

Line GL-6012 Grounds Maintenance. Over-budget $5,929.64 (88%). Tree removals.*

Line GL-6032 Tree Maintenance. Over-budget $6,104.97 (163%). More tree removals.* Why ae tree removals in Line 6012?

Line GL-6260 Office Supplies. Over-budget $3,166.90 (106%). New Summit ID card software and printer purchased. Note that the Property Manager shifts the blame to the treasurer for coding this to the wrong category. This is a capital purchase, not an office "expense".

Line GL-6265 Janitorial Services. Over-budget $3,899.97 (104%). The budget was $5,000 for the year, and the monthly charge is $1,550 ($18,600/year). Why were services increased so much?

See the tiny note at the bottom of the page? (F)avorable and (U)nfavorable mean? Those U's should be in red!!!

And no one ever asks any questions!

Homeowners are not being kept in the dark. The numbers are right here, in plain view. Homeowners are just not turning the lights on!!!

* Several months ago a member of the Finance Committee asked an important question at a board meeting. It was something like "Are all the motions for tree removals coming from money in the budget?" As I recall, his question was not answered. What do you think the answer is?

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