Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wauwatosa finance director projects year-end roughly $54,000 better than budget; board discusses audit and purchase-services costs
Summary
Finance presenter Scott Ecker said the district projects to finish the fiscal year about $54,000 under budget while still drawing on the planned fund balance; the board discussed the audit schedule, CISA 5 engagement and the outsized, volatile category of "purchase services."
Scott Ecker presented the operations monthly financial report and told the Wauwatosa School Board that, with 11 months of activity, the district is projecting to end the fiscal year slightly better than budget—approximately $54,000 to the good—while still spending from an approved fund balance drawdown (projected fund-balance use about $10.9 million).
Ecker cautioned that late-year variability (state aid adjustments, final payrolls, unexpected assessments) can change the final number; he cited an unanticipated city sidewalk special-assessment bill of about $30,000 as an example. He said the projection reflects tightened budgeting and ongoing review and that the district expects the independent annual audit process to run June through November with auditors presenting to the board in December.
Board members asked about CISA 5, which the district contracted to monitor monthly financial reports; Ecker said the engagement cost was modest (under $5,000 this year) and will continue. The presentation and discussion emphasized "purchase services" as the third-largest budget bucket (substitutes, outsourced custodial and food services, legal fees, utilities) and a source of year-to-year volatility, including legal redaction hours tied to open-records requests.
Consent agenda action: The board approved the consent agenda by roll call (all recorded votes were yes: Miss Brazinski, Mr. Bower, Miss Bach, Mr. Morris, Miss Himer, Dr. Worley, Mr. Wy).
Adjournment: After additional discussion about referendum project status and budget processes, the board voted unanimously to adjourn the public meeting and convene a non-recorded inservice for board self-evaluation and the superintendent evaluation.
