Problem 17-56 (Static) Flexible Budget (LO 17-6)

Oak Hill Township operates a motor pool with 20 vehicles. The motor pool furnishes gasoline, oil, and other supplies for the cars and hires one mechanic who does routine maintenance and minor repairs. Major repairs are done at a nearby commercial garage. A supervisor manages the operations.

Each year, the supervisor prepares a master budget for the motor pool. Depreciation on the automobiles is recorded in the budget to determine the costs per mile.

The following schedule presents the master budget for the year and for the month of July.

OAK HILL TOWNSHIP
Motor Pool
Budget Report for July
	Annual Master				One-Month										Over- or
	Budget				Master Budget						July Actual				(Under-) Budget
Gasoline	$	81,000				$	6,750				$	8,515				$	1,765
Oil, minor repairs, parts, and supplies		7,200					600					760					160
Outside repairs		5,400					450					100					(350	)
Insurance		12,000					1,000					1,050					50
Salaries and benefits		60,000					5,000					5,000					0
Depreciation		52,800					4,400					4,620					220
Total cost	$	218,400				$	18,200				$	20,045				$	1,845
Total miles		900,000					75,000					94,500
Cost per mile	$	0.2427				$	0.2427				$	0.2121
Number of automobiles		20					20					21

The annual budget was based on the following assumptions:

1. Automobiles in the pool: 20.
2. Miles per year per automobile: 45,000.
3. Miles per gallon per automobile: 20.
4. Gas per gallon: $1.80.
5. Oil, minor repairs, parts, and supplies per mile: $0.008.
6. Outside repairs per automobile per year: $270.

The supervisor is unhappy with the monthly report, claiming that it unfairly presents his performance for July. His previous employer used flexible budgeting to compare actual costs to budgeted amounts.

Required:

a. What is the gasoline monthly flexible budget and the resulting amount over- or underbudget? (Use miles as the activity base.)

b. What is the monthly flexible budget for the oil, minor repairs, parts, and supplies and the amount over- or underbudget? (Use miles as the activity base.)

c. What is the monthly flexible budget for salaries and benefits and the resulting amount over- or underbudget?

d. What is the major reason for the cost per mile to decrease from $0.2427 budgeted to $0.2121 actual?