What to do about B&F Committee

One board member is an adviser to each committee. I have the best committee: Budget & Finance!! What fun we have. This comm. is composed of mostly past board members. "The committee's serve at the pleasure of the BOD". Ha!Ha! This is what some comedian put in our doc's.

My problem is that the B&F believe that if they make a decision, that the BOD or me, as Treasurer should make the change as they want. I give my reason why not but they don't want to hear it. There is some good once in a while.

The other BOD want me to disband the comm. for all the aggravation they cause. I don't want to do this because of the decreased participation we have in community activities and committees. Argueing with them each month is not something I look forward to but what can I do?

Robert,
I do take the comm. ideas back to the Board. They are the ones who want this comm dissolved. One example: I reviewed the Budget with the comm. for 2007. For years our format was, last year (2006), this year (2007), % difference. They wanted the past 3 years, 1st 6 months, 2nd 6 months, this year and %. It was not even a consideration. When we had our Annual Budget Meeting I presented the budget to the Members. Everyone was excited because I reduced the Maintenance Dues. One statement came from the Chair of the B&F; The B&F would not sanction the Budget because I did the Budget wrong. This brought a lot of questions from the Members. No resulting problems, but I was forced to tell the audience why. I did not want to denigrate them in front of the Members.

I think the problem is I have a financial background. The BOD took my recommendations for investing and now we are realizing 3x the interest in one year, than we have in all 11 years as a total. The BOD interviewed many banks and we chose one with a program of investing that would maximize our return. Most of the comm. are past Treasurers and had no financial background. They are not upset that we are now getting this interest, but that they as Treasurers did not have the knowledge of these investments. So they try to throw up roadblocks everywhere they can.

Robert and Bad, thanks for your responses. I am at a loss with this one. I got an e-mail from a committee member today. He said re-did the financials for me. Then sent it to the entire committee and the other Board members. He said this is the format we should be using. He used the actual figures and put together a simplistic Balance Sheet. We use TOPS and pull Balance sheets, P&L's etc.

I have decided that at the next meeting I am going to have a heart to heart. This is not going to continue! I will be as tackful as possible. We shall see!!

Nancy, at least you have a sense of humor, and that you badly need in this situation. I think you are right on in trying to keep the committee together. Why? Because if not involved in the association I would be afraid these people could be loose cannons. IMO, if you can keep old board members involved you get some history going and lay the foundation for the type of thinking that it is "2 years on, and I have done my duty for the next 25". Perhaps you could somehow credit the committee with something they have done, perhaps even the investment advice that worked so well or a similar thing -- you know, present to the association the positives and maybe they will glow a little. I would also talk to them privately, though, about not putting you in a position that you have to disagree with them in public. Rewriting you financial statement is not good and can only cause confusion -- perhaps put it that way and get the person involved in a useful task.

Just a few thoughts -- I know they are difficult to implement. You did say they came up with good things from time to time, perhaps more light should be shone on those accomplishments?

BTW, our 2007 budget actually has actuals from 2002-2005,and the budget for 2006. I don't know TOPS but I would think that would be an easy report to gin up and as a compromise might have made the committee happy. The more numbers the merrier, and if anyone cares that is a bonus (but another subject!).