Budget for the 52nd Cosa

[Ian Plätschisch]

WHEREAS, as per Lex.D.2.1.5,

2.1.5. The Seneschal (or, if the Seneschal is not a Member of the Cosa, an MC designated by the Seneschal) shall be required to submit to the Ziu, in time for consideration by the second Clark of the Cosa, a government bill approved by the whole Cabinet which shall contain the following:
2.1.5.1. a detailed budget listing all planned expenses of the State through the current Cosa, specifying the amounts to be requisitioned for each Cabinet Ministry or Officer of the Royal Household and the purpose of each such expense;
2.1.5.2. any amount of the Treasury to be set aside for investment as directed by the Finance Minister and the investment policy that will be pursued;
2.1.5.3. the total amount in louise of any planned currency minting and printing, and postage issuance to be executed by the Royal Bank & Post during the term of the current Cosa.
2.1.5.4. the total amount in louise of any planned donations proposed to be requested from Talossan citizens towards the upkeep of the State. This section shall not entitle any budget to impose compulsory taxation or mandatory donations of any kind.

WHEREAS the Organic Law directs that each government submit a budget by the second Clark of their Cosa term, and

WHEREAS this bill has been approved by all members of the Cabinet; so

A. Financial Report

THEREFORE, His Majesty's Government reports the following financial report and balance sheet to the Ziu, as certified by the Burgermeister of Inland Revenue on 6 August 2018:

Funds:
$891.81 Kingdom of Talossa savings account, held in trust by Burgermeister of Inland Revenue Istefan Perþonest.
$266.08 Kingdom of Talossa PayPal account for online transactions ([e-mail]).

Non-cash assets:
$307.50 Nominal value of 615 0¤20 stamps in circulation
$942.50 Nominal value of 1,885 unsold 0¤20 stamps held by Burgermeister of Inland Revenue
$697.50 Nominal value of 93 ℓ5 coins in circulation
$1,800.00 Nominal value of 241 unsold ℓ5 coins held by Burgermeister of Inland Revenue

Changes to total treasury balance since Nov 5, 2017
$1,001.46 Combined funds balance Nov 5, 2017

$51.61 Sale of 10 coins
-$3.40 PayPal fees on sale
-$1.61 Shipping (reimbursed to Istefan Perþonest)
$10.50 Sale of 20 stamps
-$0.73 PayPal fees on sale
-$0.50 Shipping (reimbursed to Istefan Perþonest)
$6.15 Sale of 1 coin
-$0.45 PayPal fees on sale
-$1.15 Shipping (reimbursed to Istefan Perþonest)
$10.50 Sale of 2 coins
-$0.58 PayPal fees on sale
-$0.50 Shipping (reimbursed to Istefan Perþonest)
$6.15 Sale of 1 coin
-$0.45 PayPal fees on sale
-$1.15 Shipping (reimbursed to Istefan Perþonest)
$5.50 Sale of 1 coin
-$0.33 PayPal fees on sale
-$0.50 Shipping (reimbursed to Istefan Perþonest)
$60.00 Party registration fees collected
-$2.50 PayPal fees on registration fees
$20.70 Sale of 4 coins
-$1.09 PayPal fees on sale
-$0.70 Shipping (reimbursed to Istefan Perþonest)
$2.65 Sale of 3 stamps
-$0.22 PayPal fees on sale
-$1.15 Shipping (reimbursed to Istefan Perþonest)
$0.68 Interest earned on bank account

$1157.89 Combined funds balance Aug 6, 2018

FURTHERMORE, the current value of the Louis is 1.50 USD, 1.95 CAD, 1.29 EUR, 1.16 GBP, 1.49 CHF, 2.02 AUD, 2.23 NZD, 166.40 JPY, 10.25 RMB, 5.63 SAR, 27.71 MXN, 1,675.73 KRW.

B. Appropriations Request

FURTHERMORE, His Majesty's Government hereby submits to the Ziu a request for the appropriation of funds from the Royal Treasury totaling 337¤35 ($506.38) for the specific purposes and subject to restrictions as outlined herein:

PRIM E MINISTRY
Seneschal's Chain of Office - 33¤20 ($50)

INTERIOR
Talossaid - 16¤40 ($25)
ID Cards - 16¤40 ($25)

STUFF
Webhosting reimbursements for the 50th and 51st Cosa - 144¤15 ($216.38)
Webhosting costs 52nd Cosa - ℓ40 ($60): covers through July 2019.

FINANCE
Reimbursement for shipment of coins and stamps: 13¤20 ($20)

CULTURE
Initiative Support Fund - 73¤20 ($110)

FURTHERMORE, notwithstanding the above allocations, no funds shall be disbursed without a notice of disbursement having first been transmitted to the Ziu at least fourteen days prior to the disbursement, except that disbursements solely for the purpose of postage may be made with no less than 24 hours notice. Notices shall contain details of the purchase and a cost estimate for the purchase, or the total amount paid if seeking funds for reimbursement. Copies of receipts and/or invoices will be provided upon request to Members of the Ziu.

FURTHERMORE, any funds allocated by this section shall be retained in the central fund by the Burgermeister of Inland Revenue until such time as they are disbursed. Funds not disbursed prior to the end of the government term shall remain in the central fund.

C. Fundraiser, Minting, and Other Authorizations

FURTHERMORE, the Minister of Finance, or his appointed deputy shall undertake to create manage and promote a voluntary fundraising campaign to the citizens of Talossa and other interested parties over the course of the term. The targeted amount for the campaign shall be ℓ160 ($240) in accordance with the direction of Lex.D.2.1.5.4. The proceeds of seigniorage, sales of stamps, TalossaWare proceeds, and other contributions shall be included in this total except as provided elsewhere. The expected income for the term is as follows:

Election fees for the 52nd Cosa General Elections - 26¤40 ($40)
Proceedings of sales (Coins/Stamps/Talossaware) - 33¤20 ($50)
Donations to the Kingdom: 83¤20 ($125)
Donations to TalossAID: 16¤40($25)

Total: +ℓ160 (+$240)

D. Investment Policy

FURTHERMORE, His Majesty’s Government hereby directs the Burgermeister of Inland Revenue to continue to invest all held funds into an interest-bearing savings account.


Noi urent q'estadra så:
C. Carlüs Xheraltescù, Minister of Finance
designated as per Lex.D.2.1.5 by
Ian Plätschisch, Seneschal
Viteu Marcianüs, Distain

on behalf of His Majesty's Government

[Ian Plätschisch]

I admit we are running a pretty big deficit here. However, it shouldn't happen again after this.

Basically, we have two categories of expense here; one-time and recurring:

One-Time	Recurring
Chain of Office: $50	TalossAid: $25
Webhosting for previous Cosas: $216.38	ID Cards: $25
	Webhosting for current Cosa: $60
	Reimbursement for shipment of coins and stamps: $20
	Initiative Support Fund: $110
Total: $266.38	Total: $240

MPF found a webhosting service that will only cost $60 per year, so webhosting expenses will become much more manageable after we pay the King for the 50th and 51st Cosa.

We hopefully will only need to replace the Chain of Office once.

All of the other expenses combined exactly equal our projected revenue.

[Sir C. M. Siervicül]

Can any further information be provided about the Initiative Support Fund? Without further details it sounds like a blank check to the Ministry of Culture.

Also, do you have a source in mind for the new Seneschal's chain that would fit the proposed budget? I think the last one cost a bit more than that.

[Ian Plätschisch]

Aug 28, 2018 10:33:09 GMT -6 Sir C. M. Siervicül said:

Can any further information be provided about the Initiative Support Fund? Without further details it sounds like a blank check to the Ministry of Culture.

We are currently working on an application that would allow cultural projects to request funding. We have already been talking with AD quite a bit about helping fund a restarted BT.

Also, do you have a source in mind for the new Seneschal's chain that would fit the proposed budget? I think the last one cost a bit more than that.

I do not know of a source as of yet. The $50 figure was pulled from the budget for the 50th Cosa.

[Sir C. M. Siervicül]

Aug 28, 2018 14:21:40 GMT -6 Ian Plätschisch said:

We are currently working on an application that would allow cultural projects to request funding. We have already been talking with AD quite a bit about helping fund a restarted BT.

I'm somewhat uneasy about an open-ended appropriation of that size without any criteria, guidelines, or conditions for how it will be spent. I'm not a big fan of state-sponsored journalism, either. No offense to BT (for which I've written in the past), but that can be a threat, conscious or not, to the independence of the press. He who pays the piper calls the tube, and all that.

Aug 28, 2018 14:21:40 GMT -6 Ian Plätschisch said:

I do not know of a source as of yet. The $50 figure was pulled from the budget for the 50th Cosa.

Ah, yes. The original appropriation(44th Cosa?) was ℓ70 ($105), I believe, but the final cost was a bit less (I think in the 70s). In the 49th Cosa we requested ℓ66¤40 ($100) for a replacement. I spent a lot of time trying to track down and contact the creator of the original, with no luck--I think she doesn't do that kind of thing anymore. But very recently I found another artisan who makes reasonably-priced chainmail pendants and collars, and is located in the GTA (if not in Talossa itself) to boot! I'll send you their contact info if you like.

[Ian Plätschisch]

Yes, that information would be great.