PAX Centurion - January / February 2015

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • January/February 2015 • Page 9 Treasury Notes: Robert P. Colburn, BPPA Treasurer A new look at the BPPA Treasurer’s Office To all of our members, I pledge to work tirelessly, with honesty and integrity while charged with accounting for the finances of our union. I pledge to you transparency and open communication as we move forward. I am honored and excited to be part of the new leadership team of the BPPA. My Fellow BPPAMembers, M y name is Bobby Colburn, assigned to the K-9 Unit and your newly-elected treasurer of the BPPA. Let me start by thanking each and every member who braved the inclem- ent weather of December 9 th , 2014 to cast a vote in a truly historic election. What a tribute to our membership to have such a significant turnout of over 80% participation. To all of our members, I pledge to work tirelessly, with honesty and integrity while charged with account- ing for the finances of our union. I pledge to you transparency and open com- munication as we move forward. I am honored and excited to be part of the new leadership team of the BPPA. The treasurer’s job is to watch over the finances of our Union. It is a job that requires meeting with our financial advisor and insurance broker on a regular basis to insure that we, as the commer- cial says, “Just don’t lose the money.” The Advisor/Insurance Broker is Scott Holden. Scott has been working with the BPPA for over twenty years. After sharing some of my ideas with Scott, I plan on meeting him at a minimum, on a quarterly basis to track the progress of our investments. I also will meet with our accountant Bill Louthan several times a month for the purpose of tallying the re- ceipts as well as paying the numerous bills, while providing a full ac- count of the expenditures of our funds. In my role as treasurer I will also look to cut expenses and to seek out cost saving for the BPPA. A few examples of this would be to look at the current practice of holding separate insur- ance policies for our building, for the “Blue Goose,” for our new BPPA pickup truck, as well as for the canteen trailer. I believe there is substantial cost savings to be realized by consolidating all of these policies and receiving a multiple policy discount. The same can be said about our office communication infrastructure. There is significant cost savings to be realized by switching over to a national carrier with business phone, Internet and TV. I would also like to explore our current dental insur- ance to possibly include an eyeglass/vision component at a reason- able cost for our members. If we can save in one area we may be able to provide more comprehensive services in another. I believe this is worth exploring and I will report back any and all progress on these issues. Another area of potential cost-cutting/saving would be to exam- ine the Museum Pass Program. Our current expenditure is in excess of $100,000. These passes are intended for the use of our members and our families. Unfortunately, we have strayed from the intent of keeping them in the family and I feel its time to take a second look. One school of thought would be to cut back from what we have now and keep only the Franklin Park Zoo and the Children’s Museum pass program. I look forward to discussing this issue with house members and also solicit other ideas for entertainment for our membership. If any member has an idea, please tell your Rep. or feel free to contact me here at the Union.  A little house- keeping: There are several of the BPPA Scholarships that have yet to be col- lected. We ask that you come forward and accept the award or the scholar- ship will be awarded to the alternates previously drawn. Also, if you stop by the office you will note that the offices have received a fresh coat of paint, some new carpet downstairs and some “newer” memorabilia. Please stop by and check it out. It is YOUR UNION, and you are ALWAYS welcome! I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the membership for their tremendous show of love and support for the family of our brother, Po- lice Officer Michael Ramos. As you may recall, Michael passed sud- denly just before Christ- mas. There was a great turnout for his wake and funeral, which meant so much to Michael’s family, friends and co-workers. And to all of you who so generously donated money, and gifts for Michael’s family and to those of you who took time away from your own fam- ily to deliver these gifts we say THANKYOU. Let us never forget, “In Unity There Is Strength!” The treasurer’s job is to watch over the finances of our Union. It is a job that requires meeting with our financial advisor and insurance broker on a regular basis to insure that we, as the commercial says, “Just don’t lose the money.” Also, if you stop by the office you will note that the offices have received a fresh coat of paint, some new carpet downstairs and some “newer” memorabilia. Please stop by and check it out. It is YOUR UNION, and you are ALWAYS welcome! P.O. Michael Ramos