View source for GPCA Bylaws Draft Fiscal Policy

'''FISCAL POLICY OF THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA'''

'''ARTICLE I: BUDGET'''

'''Section 1-1 Fiscal Year'''

The Fiscal Year shall be as defined in the GPCA Bylaws and is May through April.

'''Section 1-2 Budget Committee'''

'''1-2.1''' Mission

The Budget Committee shall prepare and present an annual draft budget to the General Assembly. The draft budget shall be based upon the budget requests and income projections from Standing Committees, Working Groups, the state Treasurer and Liaison to the Secretary of State as described in 1-2, and the prioritization of expenses as described in 2-1.

'''1-2.2''' Membership

'''1-2.2(a)''' The Budget Committee shall be a standing sub-committee of the General Assembly and be composed of six members: three from the Finance Committee and three from the Coordinating Committee. Members from the Finance Committee members shall include the state Treasurer and two at-large members, appointed by the Finance Committee. Members from the Coordinating Committee shall include the Coordinating Committee liaison to the Finance Committee and two at-large members, appointed by the Coordinating Committee.

'''1-2.2(b)''' The state Treasurer shall serve for the duration of his/her tenure as state Treasurer.  The Coordinating Committee liaison to the Finance Committee shall serve on the budget working group for the duration of his/her tenure as liaison. The at-large Finance Committee members and the at-large Coordinating Committee members may each serve for up to two consecutive one-year terms, but then may not serve a third consecutive one-year term, after which this timing begins anew.  

'''Section 1-3 Budget Requests'''

'''1-3.1''' Standing Committees and Working Groups shall submit annual budget requests to the Finance Committee no later than the end of the third quarter of each fiscal year. Requests should be consistent with the mission and work plan of the Standing Committee or Working Group and include income and expense projections where applicable and must be in the format provided for by the Finance Committee in 4-1.

'''1-3.2''' The state Treasurer and Liaison to the Secretary of State shall submit annual budget requests to the Finance Committee no later than the end of the third quarter of each fiscal year. Requests should be consistent with the job description and responsibilities of the state Treasurer and Liaison to the Secretary of State.

'''1-3.3''' It shall be the responsibility of the Finance Committee to compile all requests under 1-2.1 and 1-2.2 into a single document and present them in a timely manner to the Budget Committee for its work.

'''1-3.4''' Requesting a budget for all expenditures related to statewide mailings or the hosting of statewide meetings shall be the responsibility of the Coordinating Committee.

'''1-3.5''' Requests for out-of-budget emergency funds may be made at any time, subject to availability of funds as per 2-5.

'''Section 1-4 Draft Budget'''

'''1-4.1''' During the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, the Budget Committee shall prepare the Draft Budget as described in 1-1.1. As part of this process, the Finance Committee and the Budget Committee shall hold a combined meeting to review projections for the total amount of funds available for the next fiscal year and to receive input and to ask and take questions from those making budget requests under 1-2.

'''1-4.2''' In preparation for the Draft Budget, the Finance Committee shall recommend to the Budget Committee a prudent reserve for that fiscal year's budget and explain its rationale, including how it relates to the maintenance of the party's prioritized expenses as defined in 2-1.

'''Section 1-5 Approving the budget'''

'''1-5.1''' On the first day of the first meeting of the General Assembly following the release of the Draft Budget, the General Assembly shall consider and approve the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Approval shall be sought for the entire budget. If unsuccessful, agreement shall be attempted for those line item(s) in the budget for which there are unresolved concerns.

'''ARTICLE II: EXPENDITURES'''

Section 2-1 Authority to Disburse Funds

'''2-1.1''' The state Treasurer is empowered to disburse funds for GPCA expenditures up to the limit of the approved budget line for that purpose, within the  prioritization of expenses as described in 2-2 and as may additionally be imposed by the General Assembly as part of the annual budget process. The state Treasurer is also empowered to disburse funds upon an emergency basis as defined in 2-5.

'''Section 2-2 Prioritization of Expenditures'''

When drawing from the General Operating Account, the GPCA shall satisfy its legal and contractual obligations first, and shall prioritize its operating expenditures in the following order:

'''2-2.1''' Staff payroll, payroll taxes, and benefits;

'''2-2.2''' Office rent and utilities;

'''2-2.3''' Server Hosting, Server Backup, State phone, State Post Office box;

'''2-2.4''' Independent contractors;

'''2-2.5''' Vendors that are indispensable to operations;

'''2-2.6''' Expenditures with a reasonable expectation of a return on investment in a short period of time; and

'''2-2.7''' Other budgeted expenditures.

'''Section 2-3 Requests for Payment and Reimbursement'''

'''2-3.1''' Each standing committee, working group and/or the state Treasurer or Liaison to the Secretary of State shall request budget funds by filling out either a Request for Payment or a Request for Reimbursement. Requests for Payment are requests to pay in advance for budgeted party expenses and are strongly recommended where possible. Requests for Reimbursement are for when someone has been approved of by their standing committee or working group to pay for a budgeted party expense in expectation of reimbursement.

'''2-3.2''' Requests for Payment and Requests for Reimbursement from standing committees or working groups must be signed by at least one co-coordinator. The Coordinating Committee may designate any of its members to sign on its behalf, but if it does not do so, the default is that at least one of its co-coordinators must sign.

'''2-3.3''' Requests for Payment shall specify the specific budget line requested and to what the budget request is doing for. Requests for Reimbursement shall specify the specific budget line to be reimbursed for and must be accompanied by copies of receipts for all expenses incurred. 

'''2-3.4''' Requesting expenditures related to statewide mailings or the hosting of statewide meetings shall be the responsibility of the Coordinating Committee.

'''Section 2-4 Disbursal of Funds'''

'''2-4.1''' Upon receipt of a properly executed Request for Payment form, the state Treasurer shall issue a check for the amount indicated to the payee designated in the form.

'''2-4.2''' In no case may the state Treasurer issue funds in excess of the amount allocated to the group for the fiscal year. Should a Request for Payment or a Request for Reimbursement be made above the amount budgeted, the state Treasurer shall advise those requesting the funds that funds requested in excess of the annual budget amount shall be subject to the Emergency Funding provisions described in 2-5.

'''Section 2-5 Reporting expenditures'''

Following each disbursal, the state Treasurer shall issue a brief statement to those making the request stating the amount of their budgeted funds disbursed in the fiscal year to date and the remaining budget allocation. In the case of the Coordinating Committee, this statement shall be given to the liaison to the Finance Committee.

'''Section 2-6 Emergency funding'''

'''2-6.1''' Requests for disbursal of funds exceeding the amount budgeted for a specific purpose may be made by standing committees, working groups and/or the state Treasurer or Liaison to the Secretary of State and be considered by the Coordinating Committee on an emergency basis. 

'''2-6.2''' To make an emergency disbursal the Coordinating Committee must approve of a statement of findings on why such an out-of-budget request is in the substantial interest of the party to justify such an expenditure and shall forward this approval to the state Treasurer. Such findings shall also be included in the agenda packet of the next General Assembly after the disbursal occurred, along with the amount disbursed and to whom it went; and an an oral report of the same shall be given to the plenary session on the first day of the General Assembly. 

'''ARTICLE III DONORS BILL OF RIGHTS'''

Donors to the GPCA shall have the right to:

'''3-1''' Be informed of the GPCA purpose, of the way the Party intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use such donations effectively for their intended purposes;

'''3-2''' Expect the GPCA will use exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities;

'''3-3''' Expect that relationships with individuals representing the GPCA to the donor will be professional in nature and that information about their donation is handled with respect and confidentiality to the extent provided by the law;

'''3-4''' Be assured that donations will be used for the purposes for which they were given. If the GPCA cannot comply with donor intentions, nor negotiate for a different purpose, the gift shall be returned to the donor;

'''3-5''' Be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of GPCA or independent contractors;

'''3-6''' Feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful, and forthright answers.




-  Standardize the naming of budget lines

- Require that committees and working groups submit their annual budget request in an excel document format supplied by the Finance Committee, that reflects these budget lines