A Few Quick Facts Regarding Budgets and Stuff

1. We are $190,000.00 AHEAD of where we were in the General Fund, in comparison to the February 2005 Treasurer's Report (see full posting below).

2. In fiscal year 2004-2005, the Carter administration was OVER its budget in 23% of the line items. We are over the budget line items in about 10%.

3. Over the past three fiscal years, we have not gone over the total budget, not even once. In fact, we have been well UNDER the total budget in each of those fiscal years.

Fiscal year 2005-2006, the total budgeted expenditures were $2,909,512.00.
$2,701,810.00 was spent; so we were $207,702.00 UNDER the budget.

Fiscal year 2006-2007, the total budgeted expenditures were $3,365,792.00.
$2,563,986.00 was spent; so we were $801,806.00 UNDER the budget.

Fiscal year 2007-2008, the total budgeted expenditures were $3,579,496.00.
$3,099,681.00 was spent; so we were $479,815.00 UNDER the budget.

The difference will likely be more narrow for 2008-2009, but we don't have those final numbers in yet.

The point of all of this is...? Well, just because it's budgeted doesn't mean it has to be spent. A budget is a GUIDE. The proof is when the Board of Trustees votes for something, and actual money is SPENT. And, this is the normal way of doing a budget, because if you make it too tight, it can be too constricting in a very fluid environment: namely, government.

We are $300,000.00 AHEAD of where we were supposed to be at this point in the "money on hand" department from last year's budget. Still, this upcoming fiscal year will be a very interesting year to manage, due to the economy and what effect it might have on our revenues. The upcoming budget is very expansive, but again is simply a guide. Many things have been BUDGETED for that likely will NOT have money spent on them, just the same as in the past. That is the nature of the beast called "The Budget."