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Board hears FY23–24 finances; members flag fee review after reserve dip
Summary
Executive director presented fiscal-year 2023–24 results showing a $1.098 million reserve but a small operating deficit; members discussed monitoring enforcement-recovery revenue and the possibility of future fee adjustments to cover board costs.
The Tennessee Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers received its fiscal-year 2023–24 financial report on Jan. 14 and discussed whether fee adjustments may be needed after a small operating deficit.
Mr. Gribble, the board’s executive director, told members the board began July 1, 2023 with $1,125,184 and ended the fiscal year with a reserve balance of $1,098,434 after net revenue of $736,166 and total expenditures of $763,113. Gribble said the board did not incur a core expense in FY 2023–24 but anticipates core costs in the current fiscal year. “The sky is not falling,” he told the board, but he noted that the board will likely appear before the legislature’s government operations committee to explain budget trends and any plan for addressing the shortfall.
Why it matters: the board’s reserves fund oversight, inspections and enforcement; multiple factors — declining active licensees, increased complaint-related workload and lower civil-penalty receipts in FY23–24 — reduced the net revenue for the year and prompted discussion of whether rule- or fee-level changes may be appropriate.
Key figures and context
- Beginning balance July 1, 2023: $1,125,184. - Net revenue (July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024): $736,166. - Expenditures for the period: $763,113. - Reserve balance reported July 1, 2024: $1,098,434. - Case and complaint receipts (civil penalties and investigation cost recoveries) fell to $17,641 in FY23–24 from previous amounts (for comparison: FY20–21: $48,935; FY21–22: $54,733; FY22–23: $41,096).
Board discussion and next steps
Members asked about the relationship between assessed civil penalties and actual collections, and about how much complaint processing costs the board. Counsel and staff described the department’s usual practice of following up on consent-order payments and balancing the costs of formal hearings against collection prospects. Several members said they would rather not increase fees unless necessary; others suggested the board should analyze the true cost of handling complaints and consider whether civil penalties and recovery practices sufficiently offset enforcement costs.
Staff said they will review the board’s expense drivers, monitor collections, and return with analysis and, if warranted, a fee proposal and the public-notice steps required for any change. The board took no fee action at the meeting and voted to accept the executive director’s report.
Ending: The board approved the executive director’s report by voice vote and moved to licensing matters.
