SGA debates budgets, prepares for new year

Front-end budgeted groups vie for funds

While it did not pass the final budget, the Student Government Association debated until almost midnight Tuesday on the Senate's Finance Committee proposals and additional amendments for front-end budgeted groups.

The SGA debated the budgets of Campus Assault ResponsE, Interfraternity Council, Black Student Alliance, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Sports Club Council and Student Ambassadors.

Senators will debate the SGA's budget at next week's Senate meeting as well as vote on each of the front end budgeted group's funds — deciding how much each group should get in funding.

CARE

The CARE budget received no cuts from the Finance Committee and there were no amendments made.

Freshman Thomas VanWanger, member of SGA's Finance Committee, said this is a "fairly simple budget." The Finance Committee passed everything CARE submitted, Van Wanger said.

With no amendments to the proposed budget, the Senate did not have to debate the Finance Committee's proposal.

Panhellenic Council

For the Panhellenic Council, the governing body of the social sororities at JMU, the Finance Committee cut some of its proposed budget.

Printing service costs were cut because the SGA wants to limit the amount of printing groups do and move more toward the use of internet forms, according to sophomore Allie Baer, member of the SGA's Finance Committee.

There were two amendments debated on Panhellenic's budget.

Junior Ricardo Pineres, Ashby Hall Senator, said the Senate should not pay $135 for yearbook pictures and place those additional funds in the contingency account.

Karen Mercer, the committee adviser to the SGA Finance Committee, said the budget also includes money the organization raises and it is feasible the organization would pay for the picture itself and not with student fees, but the SGA must allot money for it, since the budget includes money that the organizations raise on their own and not just money given by the SGA.

This amendment failed.to pass. As a result, Pineres removed other amendments that dealt with yearbook picture fees from other groups.

The next amendment debated, proposed by Pineres, involved adding $375 to Panhellenic's budget for its Fraternity/Sorority Excellence Awards.

Gray said the Finance Committee originally removed the money because the committee wanted to set each award at $25. However, after researching award shops throughout the Harrisonburg area, it "found $50 to be the standard."

This amendment to give $50 to Panhellenic and Interfraternity passed and also was applied to the Inter-fraternity Council because its numbers were deemed incorrect, too.

Interfraternity Council

The Interfraternity Council's budget was in line, according to Baer. With the two amendments of yearbook pictures and awards resolved, the Senate did not need to go into debate.

Black Student Alliance

Pineres said the Black Student Alliance should receive $52.50 for T-shirts for the executive board so it can be easily identified during its events.

Gray said the Finance Committee cut this item out because "it was described to us as a perk for executive members … [We asked ourselves about any organization we give money to,] does this line item help them to fulfill their mission statement?"

This amendment passed.

University Program Board

Travis and Pineres proposed an amendment that would remove two phone lines from UPB's office, which then would return $816 to contingency.

"With 10 phone lines, on a daily basis how often are these 10 phone lines used?" Travis asked.

Senior Keri Schlosser, outgoing director of UPB finance, said UPB would give up one of its extensions because it was a phone line that only was used by a graduate assistants.

Gray amended the amendment so that only the one line would be removed.

This amendment was passed and $408 was placed back in the contingency.

Sports Club Council

The Sports Club Council covers 35 different sports clubs with over 1,300 members, according to junior Gary Labelle, executive treasurer of the Sports Club Council.

The Finance Committee proposed to cut two coaches, one for the equestrian team and the other for women's volleyball from the SCC budget because the SGA never has funded coaches before.

Freshman Tina Giustiniani, at-large senator, proposed an amendment that would return $4,015 to Sports Club Council from the contingency so the equestrian team could keep its coach.

Senior Jen Ross, president of the equestrian team, said its members spend thousands of dollars to practice and enter events and cannot afford a coach. However, she also said a coach is necessary to attend certain events.

By taking from the contingency "you're depriving hundreds of other organizations [money from contingency]," Gray said.

However, Pineres argued that many other clubs do not use the contingency fund anyway.

Kim proposed an amendment to the amendment that would cut the money allotted in half to $2,707.50.

While this seemed like a good compromise to some senators, others felt this was not sufficient.

"This team has worked hard to make their interests a reality," said freshman Kevin Hasser, an at-large senator. "I think we should pay the full $4,000."

Some senators pointed out that the equestrian team, if it was not under the umbrella of Sports Club Council, could have gone to the SGA for the contingency funds and the SGA probably would have given money to the club.

Gray, however, said funding for the coach would set a bad precedent that would affect the future.

"The standard now is we don't fund for coaches," he said. "I feel it's like a slippery slope."

After more debating, the Senate voted to allot $2,007.15, half the money SCC asked for in order to pay for the equestrian coach.

The next amendment debated was for $3,000 for a women's club volleyball coach.

This amendment passed and gave SCC money to continue to pay for its volleyball coach.

Student Ambassadors

The Finance Committee cut some areas in the Student Ambassadors' budget that dealt with copy center items and correspondence, which could be moved to electronic means. The committee also denied a request for $250 to help the group run its homecoming pep-rally.

Senior Lyndsey Walther-Thomas, Arts and Letters senator, proposed the Senate add $250 for a speaker for the homecoming pep rally.

"All of Hillside field was covered at the rally [last year],"she said. "Asking for $250 to make it like last year — it is not too much to ask."

Gray said he felt this was a legitimate request. "[The Student Ambassadors] have proven they can wisely spend money," Gray said. He said the ambassador's budget has remained steady since 1999, and they have asked for few increases.

This amendment was passed.

For information on or to view the proposed budgets visit the SGA Web site at sga.jmu.edu.