» Member Updates Archive

NACWA plans an active and diverse agenda of actions and initiatives for FY 2012 in legislative, regulatory and judicial advocacy.  Our efforts will focus on ensuring that valid science is the foundation of environmental policy, enhancing utility management, expanding strategic partnerships, and applying effective membership development and retention strategies. 

Challenging economic times have called upon NACWA to be especially focused on the delivery of exceptional service.  Our energies and efforts have been focused on raising the bar on the quality of our advocacy on, and analysis of, evolving and emerging issues – all without any increase in dues for the past two years.  We were truly gratified that not only did all public Member Agencies choose to renew the membership this year – an additional 12 public utilities joined NACWA as new members.

As we look to FY 2012, NACWA’s leadership and management team have been exceedingly attentive to ensuring sustainable support to both the Association’s General Fund and Targeted Action Fund.  The TAF, in particular, has received special attention due to its invaluable support of our engagement in both ongoing and evolving legislative, regulatory, and judicial issues affecting our members.  

At the direction of the Board’s Executive Committee, a TAF Sustainability Task Force – comprised of the leadership of the Association’s Legislative Policy, Regulatory Policy, and Legal Affairs Committees – was convened to examine several options for increasing and maintaining the funding level in the TAF.  It was the general consensus of a majority of the Task Force that a 4% increase in dues – with nearly 3% of it directed to the TAF – would provide a solid foundation for an increasingly sustainable TAF and provide needed support to the General Fund.  

NACWA’s Board of Directors met on May 8, 2011 and acted to adopt preliminary budgets for both the General Fund and Targeted Action Fund (TAF) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012.  This Member Update describes key aspects of the budgets to the membership.  Member comments are invited and should be provided by June 3, 2011.

FY 2012 Preliminary Budgets Adopted

This Member Update presents the Association’s preliminary FY 2012 General Fund Budget (Attachment A).  Ever mindful of the current economic climate, the budget development process included a thorough review of revenues and expenditures, as well as an assessment of NACWA’s ability to maintain and enhance its delivery of essential services to its members.  The preliminary FY 2012 General Fund budget reflects $3.75 million in revenues, $3.87 million in expenses and $116,000 in transfers from other funds resulting in a break-even net income after transfers for FY 2012.  It assumes a 4% increase in dues for all membership categories (Publicly Owned Treatment, Conveyance Systems & Stormwater Management Agencies, Corporate Affiliates, Legal Affiliates and Supporting Affiliates) – with nearly 3% of the increase dedicated to NACWA’s Targeted Action Fund (TAF).  For your information and planning purposes, this Member Update also provides the FY 2012 NACWA dues schedule (Attachment B) – reflecting the dues increase which ranges from just over $2,000 for our largest Member Agencies (with service area populations ≥ 6,000,000) to $45 for our smallest Member Agencies (with service area populations < 20,000).

Also presented for your review is the preliminary FY 2012 Targeted Action Fund (TAF) Budget (Attachment C) which supports engagement in both ongoing and evolving legislative, regulatory and judicial issues.  For over 15 years the TAF has strengthened the Association’s capability to achieve its short and long-term strategic objectives.  Whether through the invaluable publication of NACWA’s triennial Financial Survey, or the important Nutrient Summit (and associated issue paper), the projects and initiatives funded through TAF bring added value to the Association’s advocacy on behalf of its Member Agencies.  

Overall, approximately 14% of FY 2012 dues revenue will support a TAF allocation of $500,000.  We anticipate that NACWA’s TAF will continue to consistently prove its value by protecting Member Agency interests and ensuring both cost savings and avoided costs in the coming year.  In addition to the preliminary Targeted Action Fund Budget for FY 2012, a budget justification for TAF projects included in the preliminary FY 2012 budget (Attachment D) and an overview and status report of TAF projects currently underway (Attachment E) are included for your review.

Member Comment Invited on FY 2012 Budgets

Consistent with NACWA’s budget cycle, the Board of Directors encourages all members to review the FY 2012 preliminary budgets for both the General Fund and the Targeted Action Fund.  Please direct any comments you may have to Suzanne Goss, NACWA Treasurer and Chair of the Association’s Finance Committee (904/665-8331 or via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and NACWA’s Executive Director, Ken Kirk (202/833-4653 or via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).  Please provide your comments and recommendations prior to Friday, June 3, 2011.  All comments received will be carefully considered and action on final budgets will be taken when NACWA’s Board of Directors meets on July 20, 2011. 

As the Association continues in its fifth decade of advocacy and service, initiatives throughout the year will support the objective of maintaining NACWA’s strategic position as the driving force in national clean water policy.  As always, our primary focus is on advocacy on behalf of our member’s interests.  We look forward to sharing additional information on our advocacy work with you in our annual NACWA Year in Review.

This past year we have accomplished many things.  Playing a pivotal role in these accomplishments were NACWA’s leadership and members, whose firm decisions and substantial participation lent unquestioned credibility to the Association’s positions and increased attention to its policy goals.  Many thanks for your continuing participation and support.

ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A -  Preliminary FY 2012 General Fund Budget
Attachment B -  FY 2012 Membership Dues
Attachment C -   Preliminary FY 2012 Targeted Action Fund Budget
Attachment D -  Targeted Action Fund FY 2012 Budget Justification
Attachment E -  Targeted Action Fund Project Overview & Status Report