By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Jan. 4, 2018) A year ago, under a different administration, members of Ocean Pines’ Budget and Finance Committee said they were left out of much of the budget process.

That’s not the case this year, according to Committee Chairman John Viola.

Viola, who briefly served as finance director, said new General Manager John Bailey has been much more receptive to committee suggestions.

“The GM has definitely listened to guidance given to him from the B&F Committee,” Viola said, via text, last Friday. “JB has also asked me questions and I have discussed items with him. At this point I can give a ‘yes,’ that there have been meetings for input from the committee to the GM and the board.”

The budget and finance committee met last Wednesday, but its first look at the proposed 2019 fiscal year budget was postponed until Jan. 4 because Bailey asked for more time, Viola said.

Viola said committee members made specific suggestions to Bailey such as changing the budgeting approach for “revenue projections, utilization of … historical data, payroll and overtime costs, telephone bill analysis (specifically yacht club) [and] more detail on information technology costs.”

He said consultants and personnel service contracts were discussed, with an emphasis on a human resources position.

Phone bills at the yacht club have been a particular curiosity, about $15,000 in fiscal 2015, almost $16,000 in fiscal 2016 and projected at $16,260 in fiscal 2017 and 2018.

Viola said he asked, but did not yet receive specifics on, why the costs were so high.

“I did address with prior acting GM and now have updated JB on the situation,” he said. “I have requested the detail and will ask for substantiation during the January review. I raised it again in this week’s B&F Committee meeting.”

Viola scheduled an additional meeting on Jan. 8 “to review the budget with the B&F Committee to prepare for the three-day review with the GM.”

According to a draft schedule of budget deliberations, Bailey is scheduled to submit a draft of the fiscal 2018 budget to the committee, Thursday. He will present the budget and review it with the committee next week, Jan. 10-12, during a series of meeting from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

The committee will meet with Bailey for a final review of the proposed budget and vote on any suggested changes on Jan. 16 at 10 a.m.

Viola and Bailey will hold a budget hearing for the membership on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. and meet again on Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. to consider any changes, based on the hearing.

Bailey will present the proposed budget to the board of directors on Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. Board members may provide budget amendments from Jan. 27 to Feb. 23.

The board will hold a series of work sessions from Feb. 5-7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A budget hearing for members, presented by the board, is scheduled for Feb. 10 at 10 a.m.

All of the above meetings are scheduled to occur at the Tern Grille inside the country club on 100 Clubhouse Drive.

A board vote to adopt the budget is set for Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. at Assateague Room inside the community center on 235 Ocean Parkway.