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Congregational Building & Grounds Meeting
How Should We Pay for Expected Repairs to the Church?
January 14 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Dear Members and Friends,
During our congregational meeting in November, I mentioned that our funds for building and grounds maintenance were nearly depleted. We would like to have a plan to deal with this before we draft our next annual budget.
Eight years ago, the congregation faced several serious concerns about our church building. Our furnace was on its last legs, the office administrator worked in an unheated tower, the roof was leaking, and the new minister needed an office. We created the I Love My Church campaign to address these and other projects. Part of the plan was to include future maintenance needs in our annual budget. That part never happened. The I Love My Church Campaign was very successful, raising more than $120,000. We have used approximately $15,000 in earnings and principal from the Mary Fuller Fund. We have completed the initial projects and done further roof repairs and major repairs to the chancel as well. The I Love My Church money was exhausted in 2019, and only $20,000 remains in the Mary Fuller Fund.
The annual Building & Grounds budget of $6,000 covers mostly grounds and equipment maintenance with only $1,000 to $2,000 for repairs. This means we have spent $20,000 each year on building projects in excess of what is budgeted, using money from the ILMC and MFF accounts. Bill Howe has provided a depreciation estimate for our building and its contents. This was done by estimating the average life expectancy of parts of our building and its equipment and the cost of replacing them, then calculating the amount needed each year to set aside to be ready to replace the parts. For example, if a roof lasts 25 years and costs $60,000 to replace, we should set aside $2,400 each year to replace it. The total estimate for being prepared is $15,000 to $20,000 per year for expected expenses.
How will we raise this money? Should we incorporate it into our annual budget? Should we have a new I Love UU Middleboro campaign? Should we have a combination of these efforts? I am inviting any church member who is interested in dealing with this issue to meet with us at noon on Sunday, January 14, 2024, in the sanctuary for more information and discussion.
Sincerely.
Jim Bonnar
President
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