ACSA has been working hard to maintain a high level of service while implementing cuts to the association’s overall budget. The association’s No. 1 priority has been to continue to meet and exceed members’ expectations.
“One of our ongoing goals is to provide fiscal transparency and budget accountability,” said ACSA Executive Director Bob Wells. “The billion dollar cuts to public education in the last several years have forced us to reduce spending and to balance our budget through mid-year cuts and other costs savings. One of the largest cuts we’ve made to address our budget shortfall this year is an across-the-board reduction in staff salaries.”
In 2008-09, ACSA balanced its budget with $500,000 in mid-year cuts. The largest percentage of this solution came from shifting resources from ACSA PAC to the ACSA general fund, representing 44 percent of the total mid-year cut solution. Other critical components of the 2008-09 mid-year cuts were reducing the region rebate (16 percent of the solution), eliminating contracting services (8 percent) and part-time and temporary help (5 percent), reducing staff travel (4 percent) and more.
In May 2009, staff proposed, and the ACSA Board of Directors approved, $725,000 in budget reductions for 2009-10. In July 2009, staff recommended, and the ACSA Board approved, an additional reduction plan of $550,000. For 2009-10, the total budget reduction plan approved by the ACSA Board of Directors is $1,275,000.
The largest percentage of these 2009-10 budget cuts comes from reducing staff salaries (20 percent of the total reduction plan). Other critical components of the 2009-10 budget reduction plan included shifting resources from ACSA PAC to the ACSA general fund (16 percent), eliminating contracted services (10 percent), reducing region rebate (9 percent), postponing an association management system project (6 percent) and more.
As part of the solution for projected budget shortfalls, the region rebate reduction was 16 percent in 2008-09 but was reduced to 9 percent in 2009-10. This percentage decrease was due mainly to the 4 percent reduction in ACSA staff salaries and benefits, representing 20 percent of the budget shortfall solution in 2009-10.
ACSA will continue to keep members informed about budget matters online and through member publications. Click here to access information about ACSA operations.