Hello,
Andi Barth took an issue with our intent to make the fiscal year of
the DC15 entity start on 3 May (the prospective date of foundation).
My motivation for doing that was to avoid having a short fiscal year
("Rumpfgeschäftsjahr") in 2014, which would just mean having to file
an additional annual return.
I drafted the association's contract such that the board is elected
for two years and the members convene every two years for their
general assembly. By this, the first period would end on 2 May 2016,
by which time we know whether to continue the association or close
it down.
However, starting the fiscal year not on 1 January is exceptional,
and starting it not on the first of a month even more so. While it's
not impossible, Andi's right in saying that it'll mean additional
steps and additional dealing with the financial authorities.
So, alternatively, we can leave the fiscal year be the calendar
year, reduce the association's period to one year, start in 2014
with a short fiscal year and wrap things up post-DC15 so that we can
decide already in December 2015 what to do.
That way, we also only have to file two annual returns, and the time
pressure to wrap things up post-DC15 by December (rather than May
2016) might actually be good, too.
We'd have to have a yearly AGM and vote a new board within 12 months
(rather than 24 months).
Generally, I really prefer having the fiscal year not end on 31
December, like everything else, because the period November-December
is very full for everyone and it's usually hard to find time for yet
another meeting.
However, if people prefer not to deviate from the norm, I won't
object.
Nonetheless, my suggestion, taking into account Andi's point would
be to compromise:
- fiscal year starts 1 May;
- normal election period stays at 24 months;
- the first year (3 May 2014 to 30 April 2015) is a short fiscal
year;
- if we decided to close down the association, the AGM in April
2016 could decide to do so with the end of the fiscal year and
forgo the next elections.
--
.''`. martin f. krafft <madduck@debconf.org>
: :' : DebConf orga team
`. `'`
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