ASUCR senators held their last official meeting of the 2008-2009 year on Thursday; however, one item of business was left unfinished after the meeting was adjourned.
The approval of next year's ASUCR budget has been postponed so that senators can hold a study session to further discuss the details of the budget. The study session will take place this week.
Vice President of Finance Vicki Dasakis sent the budget out to the senate 48 hours in advance of Thursday's meeting, but the senate was hesitant to vote on the budget. If the budget is not passed by the end of the year, next year's senate would be unable to use any of the money until it was approved. Finances would essentially be frozen at the outset of the fall quarter.
This past year's budget included approximately $70,000 in contigency, an amount which has been used up over the year. The proposed budget leaves only $11,665.
Due to the six percent freshman enrollment cut across all UCs, which was approved earlier this year, the proposed budget compensates for the lower number of students admitted.
ASUCR gets a large sum of its revenues from a student fee of $10.50. Because of this, a decrease in enrollment means that ASUCR will have less money to work with over the next year. ASUCR will have a little over $587,000 in their budget for the 2009-2010 year.
To accommodate for smaller revenues, the proposed budget includes cuts in finances to various offices. Some duties, such as those held by officers of legislative, local, and international affairs, are to receive no money in the proposed budget and have their responsibilities redistributed to other officers.
Operating costs continue to take a large part of the budget, with $80,000 allocated to pay for ASUCR's use of the Highlander Union Building (HUB), formerly known as the Commons.
Amidst budget cuts, there is one place in the proposed budget in which allocated finances actually increase. The new budget proposes a 15 percent increase in annual senate stipends. This amounts to a $300 raise from $600 a year to a proposed $900 a year for individual senators.
"As a seating senator, I would say it's about time," said CHASS Senator Juanita Price in an email interview last Friday. "The work that I put into this job is not anywhere near to what we are paid for. Sixty-six dollars a month is far below [the] minimum wage and is close to slave labor. This increase should [have] happened this year; however, I am glad to see it happening for next year's board."
ASUCR will vote on the budget this week.
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