General membership voting amounts to whoever shows up for the meeting. We usually sent out a memo announcing our first PTO meeting and listed a few agenda items which included the PTO budget vote.
Our exec board develops the budget before the first PTO meting of the year. We've been doing this forever, and it really doesn't change much year to year, so there's not usually much discussion. I'll present (Trez) it at our first meeting next week, explain the rationale, and ask for voted approval. The budget is our spending plan for the year. We can't spend outside the budget without a vote of the members (Exec Board can approve up to $100 themselves).
YOu're right to question something in the budget you disagree with. And 50% of the PTO's budget going to staff appreciation is very high in my book. You spoke your mind, but the members agreed anyway. That's how democracy works sometimes. The next best way to change it is to become an officer who has the responsibility to develop next year's budget.
In response to OnTheGoPTO above....there is no tax implication of holding on to a "cushion" of cash. That's a common misconception. A non-profit, tax exempt charity (PTO) does not pay income tax, even on its savings. You are perfectly ok to sit on as much $$ as your members will allow, with no risk of increasing your tax liability. That doesn't make it a good idea from a PTO management perspective, but the IRS doesn't care. Personally, I'd have a real hard time supporting a fundraiser that simply added to a stash with no plans to spend it.
We will take a vote of our general membership Oct. 2. My problem is that in most cases it is just a show, and that our membership really doesn't understand the numbers or question anything. I say this because I voted against our budget. I was the only one who did. I did so because $3,200 of our approximately $6,000 is going to teacher appreciation gifts, dinners, food and and to pay for a "Cheer cart" each six weeks.
As the fundraising person for the PTO, it has been a difficult situation for me. But then, after sitting through these budge approval votes for years, I wonder if anyone really cares about it?
We vote in our school year budget at our general membership meeting in August. The budget is worked out in advance at our board meetings and then presented once all of the issues in the budget have been addressed and finalized.
Our PTO Board prepares a budget that is reviewed at the membership meeting. It is not voted on but meant to serve as a guide. Does your PTO have bylaws? These should dictate how money can be spent. Our bylaws state the executive board can spend up to $100 a month without a majority vote of the membership. Every other expenditure has to be voted on by the full membership. Certainly, anyone can make a motion at a regular meeting to spend that "cushion" and with a majority vote, it can be spent for the pirpose specified. Keeping too much of a cushion can also have an impact on the taxes your group will be required to pay.
Do most PTO's have the general membership vote to approve the yearly budget? It seems like our general membership has little voice in the budget process, spending, or choosing activities for the year. My PTO is also sitting on a very large sum of money carried over from last year, but still plans to fundraise equal to what their budget calls for, with the carryover as a "cushion."
