Budget season is here. An hour on building a budget that holds up — operating line items, reserve contributions, common charges that actually match, and a plan for the costs that keep climbing.
A working session, not a sales pitch — we move quickly through the decisions boards face every fall as they build the budget for the year ahead.
Led by CPE's president, who builds and defends association budgets with Connecticut boards every fall.
Doug is President & CEO of CPE Property Management Solutions, a Connecticut-based firm specializing in community association management. With 20+ years of experience, he works with condominium, HOA, and cooperative boards on governance, financial strategy, and long-term community sustainability.
The budget is where a board's plans meet reality. Get it right and the year runs smoothly; get it wrong and you're managing shortfalls, deferring maintenance, and explaining surprise assessments to owners.
This session works through a repeatable approach — building the operating budget from the ground up, funding reserves properly, and setting common charges that reflect what the community actually needs, all while planning for costs that keep rising.
These guides cover the foundations — useful context for board members and managers heading into budget season.
Line-item structures, variance flags, and the questions boards should ask in budget season — the foundation for this session.
Open guideHow a reserve study connects asset condition to a long-term funding plan — and how the budget carries it forward each year.
Open guideSixty minutes on the budget decisions Connecticut boards make every fall — practical, honest, and built for people who have to defend the numbers. Free to attend, real Q&A.