Are some of the other states facing this same issue?
In Kentucky, our board is fully self-funded per e-mails with people in the know. However, being a state agency, our board has to beg for permission to use the funds from licensing fees to accomplish the tasks they are required by the government to be doing.
It is not that there are not the funds to accomplish Board duties, it seems it is just that the state government will not authorize the use of the funds to do anything. As an example, we had legislative revisions to the standards of practice in November of 2010. As far as I am aware, the only notification of this to date was a link on the Boards website. Despite requests by the Board to print and distribute a manual to all licensees.
Recently, the state decided, not for the first time, that instead of using the funds for their intended purpose, they will raid the coffers and take a half a million dollars each year over the next two years and transfer from the Board to the general fund (i.e. levy an additional tax on any professional licensee).
I don't know how much/if other boards in Kentucky are facing similar raids on their accounts. But it does seem that:
1. creating an agency which is looked to for 'protecting the public welfare' through licensing
2. then hamstringing them by refusing to let them use the licensing fees to accomplish this task
3. and taking the licensing fees and mixing with all other tax dollars to cover the salary of a personal assistant to the personal assistant to the personal assistant to the dog groomer for the governor (or as one recent political ad claimed, whether fact or not, paying for two 60" flat screen TVS in one politician's office)
is at least a little bit on the side of what I would call wrong.
You think government makes sense? Any government is flawed by greed.
The situation is perzactly the same in WA State. Dedicated funds obsconded every year for something else.
Board is told they cannot have a secretary. They must use the general secretary pool. I can tell you, that is not an improvement for communications. Then the Gov takes board funds to pay for the pool. They charge the fund a magnatude or more for each pool hour as the cost of a dedicated Board secretary. All under the premise of saving tax funded money.
Read some of the Greek Classics. This type of creative manipulation has been going on for quite a while.
Jon-
Just so you can feel better ............
I received today from the 700 member +/- Association of Ontario Land Surveyors Office:
Proposed Fee Increase
by Russ Hogan, Finance Councillor
As you are aware, the current fees payable by the membership to the AOLS have been in effect since January 1, 2002. At the 2011 AGM there was a motion from the floor requesting Council to undertake a review with the intent of establishing new fees for 2012.
In completing this review Council has analyzed the association's spending over the past few years, the trend in revenue (i.e. inflation, membership numbers) and has considered the initiatives identified in our Strategic Plan that must be undertaken in the next few years. The conclusion from this analysis is that fees need to increase significantly starting in 2012 and Council has approved a by-law that will increase membership fees for 2012 as follows:
licensed member - $1,500.00
registered member - $500.00
certificate of authorization - $750.00 for the first member plus $375.00 for each additional member
associate member - $150.00
retired member - $90.00
In addition, Council has approved a second by-law that will provide for an annual increase for 5 consecutive years starting in 2013 as follows:
licensed member - $45.00/yr
registered member - $15.00/yr
certificate of authorization - $25.00/yr for the first member and $10.00/yr for additional members
associate member - $5.00/yr
retired member - $0.00
The fees review was completed in the fall of 2011 in conjunction with establishing the 2012 budget. To ensure sufficient time for consultation with the membership, Council has delayed the vote on the new fees by-laws until after the AGM in February.
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Interesting note about equal voting rights vis a vis a licensed member who must be a member of AOLS to opine on boundaries,
A person practicing professional surveying in Ontario, any of the fields of: Hydrography, Geographic Information Management, Photogrammetry and Geodesy does not have to be licensed nor be registered as an AOLS member !
You will note that even as a Registered Member, at $500.00/annum it is at 1/3 that of a licensed Certificate of Authorization (CofA)rate.
A CofA provides professional cadastral (boundary) service to the public.
licensed member - $1,500.00
Perplexedly yours,
DGG
The Canadian rates are more in line with being self standing. I cannot think of ANY US State that charges that type of fee.
Many in America have no clue of what $$$$ it actually takes to perform board duties.
