Clarification on spending of government dollars

[debilorrah]

Please, please, please refrain from commenting if you can't say something nice. I just wanted to clarify a few things.

I work in transit, and all our funding is government money of one color or another. K?

I was reading in our local paper today that a nearby town is going to have to use $320,000 from their emergency fund to balance their budget. Alot of the comments regarding the article condemned Town officials for using money to build a " dog and cat palace" - the new animal shelter in that Town.

I wish to inform the general public that funding is provided from high agencies than the Town for SPECIFIC projects. If they do not spend that money, it will be revolked, and never provided for future projects. So while many people see these projects as frivolous, spending it in the manner in which is was awarded is the responsible thing to do.

In our case, we have been given approximately $260,000 to spend on office equipment and security. Can you imagine how creative one must be to be able to spend that money??? However, if we do not spend that money as specified, we will have it revolked and that particular grant will forever be closed to us. We would be not allowed to apply for it again in the future. The grant awarded this year was for office equipment and security; however next year it could be to fund new buses, pay higher salaries, improve bus stops and shelters, etc.

And believe me, we now have a plot printer that is gathering dust, but will someday get used. Had to spend the money! Yes, the government is convoluted, but their processes are in place and must be followed.


I hope this was informative.

 

[saddina]

We had a similar situation at the college, we were given a grant for playground equiptment/supplies (we'd already had a safe newish playground installed 5 years before). What would've been more helpful would be books and crayons. So we ended up with a play village with chalkboard paint, and buckets of sidewalk chalk so we could use that for writing practice.

 

[balticbabe]

I think that it would be easy to spend 260k on security. What's that five cops or a propriety software program? Not sure where you are or the size of your transit system but here drivers have been complaining for years that they need better security. A few high profile assaults have gotten people's attention but no funding is available. Funding is available for other things such as a new fare collection system because budgets are planned years in advance. Circumstances change but the way money is allocated may not.

 

[rufus]

When I first started working in government in 1962 I was assigned a fine Steelcase metal desk. It was a fine piece of equipment, probably already ten years old. That desk would have lasted my life time, the life time of my kids and the life time of my grand kids. However, because they didn't want funds reverting, we had to scrap it.

It seemed like every four or five years, we had to change equipment, even though it was still in great condition. Heaven forbid that funds get sent back to the general fund.

When budgets get funded, they are funded by category, so much for personnel service, so much for capital expenditures, etc. If agencies were allowed to keep a percentage of unspent funds at year end, and transfer those funds into a non reverting account it would put an end to all of that fiscal year end shopping for things no one really needs or wants. This would also give the agencies a little more flexibility in emergency spending.

Just my opinion.

Rufus

 

[gpamela3499]

The good thing is that whether the money is spent on a desk or a new animal shelter someone will be working either desk factory worker or construction worker. Hope that person will spend that earned money in town (and pay taxes for it) or use it in some way to support them self. If that worker happens to be living in the state, county, or city then the money will be cycled back into the area.

 

[mom'sfolly]

I worked in a research lab after college on soft funds. At the end of the grant cycle we did most of our shopping for the next year; gauze, chemicals, new surgical equipment, dyes, film, toner, developing trays etc. It made sure we got the money the next year, and padded our supplies for times when the funding was not so flush. Working on soft funding can be scary, you never know if someone with sexier research is going to get the money that keeps your lab afloat. Or if the researcher who is reviewing your grant is doing similar work but is 6-8 months behind your lab, oops, that research doesn't sound so good...bye-bye funding.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
That $260k? We already have cameras on every bus, security guards, software, etc.... CCTV system we are putting tops out at $130K.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

The same thing happens in schools.

I get $150 per year for supplies, and if it's not all spent, I lose it for next year.

Trust me, I am always within pennies of my allotted dollar amount. Even so, I end up supplementing what is provided by the government with purchases from my own income.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Two fire departments in the same county. Both are getting $3000 a month for operating costs.

Department A. spends every dime to make sure they keep getting it. Because if it they have a beautiful building an very well maintained but 20+ year older fire trucks.

Department B. talks with the commissioners an gets them to let them save there extra operating money till it is needed. The commission agrees. Ten yeas later they have a fire department that needs painted an full of rusty desks but in the bay is 7 trucks under 10 years old with the latest an greatest equipment that money can buy.


Did not make this up.... Forced spending does work ok but savable budgets work way better.