Finance Council

The Finance Council, like the Pastoral Council, is a unit of service, not authority. If you have questions for the Council, please contact Ione Voor at financecouncil@stmaustin.org. 

The following parishioners form St Thomas More Finance Council

• Ione Voor, Chair

• Brian Abele

• ​​​​​​​Lauren Dixon

• Cameron King

• Brent McFarland

• Pat O'Beirne

• Don Rosenberg

• Denise Suniga

• ​​​​​​​Chris Williston

In order to serve the needs of the people and to be responsible stewards of the gifts given, the Diocese of Austin issues that a Finance Council is to be established and is to be operative in every parish in the Diocese of Austin. 

Click here to view the 2020-2021 End of Year Financial Report.
 

The Nature and Purpose of the Finance Council

The nature and purpose of the Finance Council relates to consultation in the parish. 

Consultation is at the heart of the decision-making process. 

Consultation does not pertain to the issue of who holds authority in the Church; it does pertain to the way that authority is exercised. 

Consultation recognizes that all the baptized are called to share in the governance of the Church, each in a way proper to that person. 

The 1983 Code of Canon Law introduced a new and separate consultative body to parish life. "In each parish there is to be a finance council which is governed, in addition to universal law, by norms issued by the diocesan Bishop.” (c. 537) 

The purpose of the parish Finance Council is to provide the pastor with a group of Christian faithful who will aid him in the administration of parish goods according to these norms. While distinct from the Pastoral Council of the parish, this Finance Council is to serve the goals and objectives set forth by the Pastoral Council, both being guided by the mission statement of the parish. 

The consultation of the Finance Council is parallel to consultation of the Pastoral Council. The responsibilities of the Finance Council shall be to: 

• Assist the pastor in the administration of parish goods in accordance with the norms of Canons 1281 through 1288 

• Assist the pastor in the preparation of a yearly budget of income and expenditures. The proposed budget is to be shared with the parish Pastoral Council. 

• Assist the pastor in the preparation of an annual financial report of revenues and expenditures for dissemination to the parishioners. A parish may choose to provide more frequent reports. 

• Review the parish income and expense report quarterly and make recommendations as necessary to see that the expenses are within the limits of income received and available.

• Assist parish commissions, boards, and organizations in preparing and submitting annual budgets. 

• Study parish revenues and make recommendations for increasing revenue to meet both parish and diocesan goals and objectives. 

• Study parish expenses and make recommendations to minimize expenditures within the parish.

• Familiarize themselves with all diocesan fiscal policies and assist the pastor in meeting these obligations. 

• Encourage support of parish and diocesan stewardship programs. 

• Be consulted on all expenditures other than normal operating expenditures.