Keith Thompson to LNC on Budget + Correction

Last updated on December 3, 2025

[ADDENDUM FROM THOMPSON-See Bottom]

From: Keith Thompson
Subject: Re: 2026 Budget Submitted by ExCom to the LNC

Good afternoon,

In listening to the budget proposal meeting and looking over the spreadsheet, I’m interested in a few items.

I feel like these could be answered by me re-reading the budget while wearing a tiny green accounting visor, but the list has been quiet lately and it’s possible some others are also interested.

The Credit Card Fees item goes from zero to $44,111. I realize this is tied to processing fees and not interest on debt, but I’m curious why it was zero for 2025. Was it simply not budgeted?

The Chair mentioned restarting LP News, but the membership communications line item is zero – would that need to be funded outside the budget, or is LP News included in another item?

The 2025 Ballot Access Petitioning fund for 2025 shows zero, but the 2026 budget is at 50k.

Does the 20k “proactive” item for New Mexico include the Secretary of State suit? That is, if we settle the matter without the force of the state, would we then save 20k?

Salary Bonus Sick & Vacation decreases by 16k, but payroll taxes are increasing by 63k and 401k is increasing by 14k. With decreased staff, should we not see a corresponding decrease in PR tax and 401k?

In terms of obvious cuts – I would like to see $20k cut from meeting expenses next year, but that’s more of a call for the future LNC. I also realize that cut would only be about 10% of our projected shortfall.

I suppose it’s better to budget for it and not spend it, than spend it without having budgeted. We’re not the government, after all.

Just looking at the budget as a whole, employees and contractors make up nearly half the budget but have already been cut considerably.

But then looking into the 8000 series of GL codes, it seems that the largest change is in PR taxes – so I’m wondering why that went up so much year over year when the burdened salary amount went down.

Was there a change in how it’s being tracked?

I feel like my confusion there may stem from a lack of morning coffee, but I’ll risk the public embarrassment so I can go into the budget meeting more knowledgeable than I am now.

I’d also like to kick off some discussion before the meeting so we can at least digest things before sitting down for hours on end.

Thanks, Keith Thompson Region 3 South Rep