Writing this in mid-December, I am happy to report that we are doing well with our 2023 budget. As of the end of November, we had $856,766 in revenue of which $743,157 was from pledges. Pledges received through November represent 89.1% of the total pledge income budget. If you have not done so already, please send in your 2023 pledge. Total revenue received is 88.6% of the budget which is less than what we would hope to have through 11 months. While we have exceeded the budget for rental and interest income, our parking revenue is low, some of which is attributable to reduced space for football parking and the less-than-stellar performance of the Gator football team. Our plate revenue is also under budget, but our target was overly ambitious.
On the plus side, total expenditures through November are $842,616 which is $14,150 less than we had taken in through November. While personnel expenses are less than budgeted because of the retirement of Andy Bachmann, operating expenses have been higher than budgeted, particularly for building, yard, and equipment maintenance, and utilities.
In addition to budgeted expenditures, the church has spent $161,604 on capital improvements and repairs to our campus, with $59,679 of this amount coming from our capital reserves and $101,925 from generous donations by members to designated accounts. Expenditures include the installation of solar panels, re-roofing the courtyard walkways, and replacing four air conditioners. As I write this, a fifth air conditioner is scheduled to be replaced and the Board of Business has authorized the remodeling of the education wing bathrooms with showers. Those costs will be additional to the funds already spent in 2023.
2023 has been a challenging year. Your pledges and the work of many have gotten us through. The Board of Business is especially grateful for the work of the Building and Grounds Improvement Committee affectionally known as the Re-Mod Squad. They have managed and prioritized the many projects around our campus and been good shepherds of your generous donations to their cause.
The Board of Business is still working on finalizing the 2024 budget. Our goal had been to have enough pledges to call a third minister. To date we are significantly short of that goal and have voted to have a supplemental campaign. To learn more about the 2024 Enlistment Campaign and the supplemental campaign, please see my article about enlistment elsewhere in this newsletter. — Alan Hill