Operating Data Review
Twelve months of actual expense by category. Variances analyzed. Anomalies flagged. The base is real spend, not last year's plan.
Sub-Service · HOA Accounting
Annual budget preparation that boards can actually defend.
Most community association budgets are last year's plus inflation. Edison's budget preparation is built from operating data, reserve study recommendations, and an honest read of the community's capital pipeline, so boards approve a number they can stand behind.
FL Ch. 720 / Ch. 718
Cycle
Jul–Nov annually
Format
Scenarios, not a single number
Delivered
Board-meeting-ready
Why most HOA budgets get rubber-stamped, and why that's expensive
The default budget cycle in most management companies is straightforward: take last year's budget, add an inflation assumption to each line, present to the board, ask for approval. It's fast. It's also why so many communities end up underfunded when capital projects arrive, the budget never reflected what was actually coming.
Edison's budget preparation works from the bottom up. We pull twelve months of actual operating data, overlay reserve study recommendations, sequence the capital pipeline against the reserve banking strategy, and present multiple scenarios so the board can see the trade-offs. The output is a budget your treasurer can defend, and a community that funds what it actually needs.
What Edison handles
What Edison's budget preparation actually delivers
Not a spreadsheet handed off the week before the meeting, a process that starts in July.
Reserve Study Integration
Current reserve study recommendations sequenced into the next 12 months. Funding pace reviewed against statutory expectations.
Capital Project Pipeline
Known capital projects scheduled against reserve banking, vendor availability, and cash flow. No surprise special assessments.
Scenarios, Not a Single Number
Three scenarios typically, conservative, base, aggressive, with the funding implications spelled out so the board chooses with full visibility.
Board-Ready Presentation
Budget package includes a one-page summary, line-item detail, and a scenarios comparison. Designed for the annual meeting, not just the treasurer's spreadsheet.
Reserve Disclosure Compliance
FL Ch. 720 / 718 reserve disclosure requirements built into the package, not added later when statute requires it.
The process
Edison's annual budget cycle
July–November, with a defined cadence and clear deliverables.
01
July, Data Pull & Review
Operating data, reserve study, vendor contracts, and capital pipeline assembled and reviewed by Edison's accounting team.
02
Aug/Sept, Draft Scenarios
Three scenarios drafted with funding implications. Treasurer review session scheduled.
03
Sept/Oct, Review & Adoption
Budget presented at a regular board meeting with the scenarios comparison. Board reviews the options and votes to adopt the version it wants to approve.
04
November, Notice
Adopted budget formalized, homeowner notice mailed per FL statute, and integrated into the next fiscal year's reporting cadence.
Want a second-opinion on this year's budget?
Edison's first conversation is free. We'll review your current budget against operating data and the reserve study, and flag what we'd do differently.
Statutory FAQ
What boards ask about this most
When does Edison's budget cycle start?
July. Twelve months of operating data are needed for a clean variance review, and most associations close their fiscal year on a calendar basis, so starting in July gives us the runway to deliver a board-ready package in the fall and send the statutory homeowner notice in November.
Are we required to present multiple scenarios?
Not by statute, but it's how Edison runs the process. Single-number budgets force boards to vote yes or vote no without seeing alternatives. Scenarios show the funding implications of each choice, and document the board's reasoning if questions come up later.
What if our reserve study is out of date?
Edison flags it. If the study is more than 3–5 years old (varies by community type), we recommend a refresh and sequence the project. The budget reflects the best information available; the gap gets named, not hidden.
How does Edison handle reserve disclosure?
FL statute requires reserve disclosure language in the budget package each year. Edison's standard package includes the disclosure language, the reserve funding pace, and the board's reserve decision (fully funded, partial waiver if statutorily permitted, etc.), formatted for the FL-required homeowner notice.
Can the board still customize the budget?
Always. Edison drafts scenarios; the board approves the version it wants. We'll document the board's modifications and reflect them in the final package. The board's decisions are the binding ones.
Get started
A budget your board can defend, with the work that builds it.
Tell us about your association, fiscal year, current budget status, biggest unknowns. We'll respond with a proposal within one business day.