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CCRPC committees recommend FY24 mid-year budget adjustment, include staff bonuses and capital investments
Summary
On Jan. 3, 2024, the CCRPC Joint Executive and Finance Committee recommended the board approve a FY24 mid-year budget of $9,309,535 (down from $9,571,017), proposing a $50,000 MPO match, $20,000 in staff bonuses, a $12,550 server upgrade and an estimated $70,000 in office renovations.
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) Joint Executive and Finance Committee on Jan. 3 recommended that the full Board approve a FY24 mid-year budget adjustment that reduces the total FY24 budget to $9,309,535 from the original $9,571,017. Executive Director Charlie Baker presented the revised Unified Planning Work Program and mid-year financials and walked members through several line-item changes.
Baker said he proposes reallocating an additional $50,000 of regional planning funds to serve as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) match, which he said helps preserve member dues. He also noted that revenue in excess of expenses rose from about $69,000 to $84,000 at mid-year and that the mid-year package includes a $20,000 line item for staff bonuses. Baker described $6.25 million on the expense side as pass-through funds to consultants and roughly $3 million as operating expenses.
Committee members pressed for clarification on specific lines. Jacki Murphy asked about the “direct” amounts on the budget sheet; Baker and Senior Business Manager Forest Cohen explained that direct funds are pass-throughs to consultants or other entities and do not pay staff or office costs. Jeff Carr said he would defer to the executive director on awarding bonuses and characterized the proposal as beneficial for morale and retention.
On capital investments, Baker identified two items: a $12,550 server upgrade and an estimated $70,000 for modest office renovations to add two to three small meeting pods as more staff return to the office. Baker said the organization retains cloud storage for most work but keeps certain accounting and GIS files on a local server.
Jeff Carr moved, and Bard Hill seconded, a recommendation that the Board approve the FY24 mid-year adjustment and UPWP; the motion carried unanimously at the committee level. The committee also tasked staff with continuing to finalize remaining edits to the larger work program and to present more substantive compensation-study information at upcoming meetings.
Next steps: the committees’ recommendation will be forwarded to the full CCRPC Board for action at its January meeting.
