spending money outside of the operating budget

Our HOA is in the County limits and the County plows are usually late on getting to our new development. I just recently found out that our HOA board members decided on their own to hire a private company to plow our public streets. It is allowed with a County permit. I also found out that they had done this last year and told no one. Problem is we don't have a line item for street plowing, we have one for landscape and repair and for removing snow from a common sidewalk. The cost for the initial plow is $1500 and $500 each additional plow. The company plowed Tuesday and then after getting just 3 more inches of snow plowed again on Thursday morning. I am just wondering if I have a legitimate gripe for them not proposing we add street plowing to our budget after last year and getting a vote to approve it for this year. Instead they are just spending the money based on what they feel is the best interest for the community. I am not against the plowing, I just want to be informed and have it voted on and placed in the budget. Any advice?

You mean voted on in advance, correct? Because hopefully the board voted on whether to spend this money on plowing roughly when the snow came. Like John posted, budgets are only a guideline. Also, emergencies happen. No law nor covenant was broken that I can see. I do not think you have a legitimate gripe. You could make a polite suggestion that this be added as a line item in the coming year's budget. You could maybe also query where in the monthly accounting the snow plowing will land. When are you going to run for the board and make the big bucks your current directors are paid?

It's not a gripe to want snow plowing added to the operations budget; in fact, it makes sense if you get enough snow annually AND if there's not another "catch all" type budget line item that covers the cost. Raising dues 25-cents per month (or however it breaks down on average) in line w/ the new operational cost is how you do it.

Expecting a controversial vote to plow snow-covered streets and possibly rejecting a service that the residents benefit from is a bit too much.

HOA boards will always "spend money" on project that we feel are in the best interest of the community. That's the way it works.

The OP's board has a point. Snow on the roads can slow down emergency responders, and if you rely on the county to plow your streets, then you are taken care of according to their priorities, not yours. If your community gets an unusual number of visits from the EMTs, for instance, then resident safety may be a concern. And in bad weather people tend to use their fireplaces/wood stoves more, so the risk of fire goes up.

Snow removal is a bit tricky to budget for because the expense is entirely out of the board's control.

We budget for a typical winter. If we don't spend all the money, the excess goes into a "snow reserve" account where it sits until the next bad winter. We do it this way to stop less disciplined boards from saying "oh hey, money - let's spend it!" when in fact that money is actually earmarked for snow removal in the future.

Since the weather has gotten so unpredictable lately, it's harder to know what a "typical winter" is anymore - but it's probably smart not to assume the two most recent years are the norm. Unfortunately board memories can be short, so taking a longer view can be a challenge.

Most landscaping contractors in my area handle both landscaping and snow removal, and I'm assuming that this is the case elsewhere. They usually base their snow removal price on time and materials: how long they have to be in the community, how much road salt or other materials they use, and what type of equipment is needed. I always put more weight on their performance with snow than with landscaping, since more people are negatively impacted if snow removal doesn't happen on time.

I agree the board should consider budgeting for snow removal if your area does get snow. It can't hurt to talk to and get bids from landscapers in the area to see how much it would set you back.