JUNIOR WARDEN'S REPORT
The All Saints' Vestry has much to report, including a new energy that reflects the encouragement of our interim rector, Fr. Gary Goldacker. Fr. Gary has been working with us to be more purposeful in preparing for two major events in the life of the parish: our 50th anniversary this December, and the recruitment of a new, permanent rector. Fr. Gary is helping the Vestry realize its strength and mission - some might call it a sense of ownership in all the business of the parish. This period of growth is a welcome development.
The vestry recently approved a final budget of $300,000 for 2010, reflecting all the costs of recruiting and retaining our interim rector, the costs of a professional audit of Church and Day School finances, and a reasonable budget for long-overdue capital improvements. The major elements of that budget are depicted in the chart below. And while the budget projects a substantial deficit - $75,000 - a large portion of that deficit is discretionary savings for the new permanent rector. In other words, in terms of actual expenditures to which we are now committed, the budget will be fairly sustainable throughout the year. If we can implement a successful "burn-the-mortgage" campaign, we may not run a deficit at all in 2010.
This summer, you can expect to see a number of improvements to our buildings and grounds. The view of the church from Washington Avenue has become a bit rundown, with a proliferation of signs and a crop of weeds that do not suggest the beauty found within the sanctuary. We will be working on a simpler sign arrangements and some low-cost landscaping that should really help improve the appearance of the parish from the street. Perhaps more importantly, we will soon hire a company to repair sections of the facility's roof. If you've seen the pictures that are located on the wall in the parish hall, you can appreciate that the roof has exceeded its planned life, and needs rehabilitation. We will be going forward with that project during the month of June.
Steve Tryon
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