A draft of ICANN's annual budget prepared in April by Maximum CFO Mike Roberts* has surfaced on the web.

The budget shows ICANN is planning for higher revenues, up 20 per cent to just over $6m, with staffing raised from 15 and a third to 21, although some slight savings result from a reduced dependence on contractors. Although the budget notes "actual revenues fell short of budgeted revenues in 1999-2000 and may do so again in the current year." One of the positions is for a 'Director of Communications', ie, a full-time PR flak to relieve senior policy officer Andrew McLaughlin of spin paramedical duties. The budget shows a projected profit of $1m.

Although ICANN has already earmarked $450,000 on a study of the At Large Membership, not a cent has been apportioned for elections to choose the At Large reps next year. The subject isn't even addressed.

As Michael Froomkin notes on ICANNWatch, "this seems a fairly significant gap."

So is ICANN not going to have an election next year? Perhaps the At Large Membership study, which has a remit to widen public participation in the Net name quango, will conclude that this is best served not by elections but by spontaneous Soviet-style displays of jollification, instead. ®

* Roberts nominally stepped down as Maximum Leader (ie, CEO) in January. Although he's named in the Meta Tags on the Word document, he isn't actually listed as a full-time member of staff any longer.