BUDGET YEAR, FISCAL YEAR

     I know that people are high on the thought of changing the budget year in such a manner as to accommodate the snowbirds. Leaving aside the issue whether people agree or not with it, as there are pros and cons on both sides, there are questions about the changes and the legalities of it. David Israel pointed out a three line paragraph and chortled about it, stating that it gives us the right to change the fiscal year by vote of the delegates. Yes, it does - but the fiscal year is not the budget year. Repeat. The fiscal year is not the same as the budget year.
     The fiscal year SHOULD NOT be changed or we are asking for trouble with the IRS and who wants that? Just the thought of it raises shudders although I am wondering what they would find if they came and inspected closely ALL the financial doings of the Village. Hmmmm. But seriously, no one asks to get involved with them so.... though it seems an easy thing - just vote by the delegates - it is not an easy thing in its consequences and should not be done.
    Now we come to the budget year. That can be changed without any fear of outside people descending upon us with pens and calculators and laptops, etc. BUT....how can the budget year be changed? That I am not sure. I thought it had to be published in the paper, go through committees, and then go for a vote at the assembly as it is a BY LAW issue. I see nothing in the paragraph that David Israel highlighted that okays the change in the budget year. This must be checked very carefully before we go ahead with this. Whatever and however we vote - all must be done properly as per by laws.
     Now we come to a problem that no one seems to have verbalized or realized or just decided to not say anything about it. Were we to extend this year's budget through the first three months of 2015 or extend the 2015 budget three months into 2016, even month by month, we do have a serious problem. These months will then be using the OLD BUDGET and its funding to pay for expenses of the newer year with ALL ITS RAISES. In other words, we have us paying 2015 (or 2016) expenses such as an automatic rise in transportation fees, security fees, cable fees all by and only by 2014 (or 2015) funding and that will leave us short, way short. So then what? We would have to dig into the "excess money" that we have that was being set aside for other line items, for emergencies, etc.? And what about the associations that are perennially late with their payments, struggling to pay, and there are a few of them? So do we then assess them on what budget was that again? See, it gets confusing and in any case, the whole situation needs to be discussed very carefully and slowly, not just at a feel good meeting of the officers in UCO or rushed and pushed through at an assembly. The differences between fiscal year and budget year, the peril of trying to change the fiscal year, the how to issue of changing the budget year, the three month gap in proper funding - all this was not addressed. Why? Why? and Why again.
     Can we not leave this habit of non transparency behind us. Even good ideas get tainted when it appears to be helter skelter and with lack of thought , of thinking all the way through to the end of the matter. By all means, open the issue on the floor under new business or however, but OPEN it up to discussion first. Check the by laws for budget year rules. Understand the perils of changing fiscal year, which is what that paragraph allowed for and explain it all in terms that people who do not deal with this will understand. Association budgets are mismanaged so often and they are less complicated than the UCO budget so patience, explanation and thought are called for.