The 2014-2015 Student Government Association budget will include more money for student organization funding and fund the 2014 fall concert, Treasurer Zach Madel said.
House of Student Representatives members approved the new budget during Tuesday night’s SGA meeting. Presented by Madel, the resolution for the budget was adopted with 98 percent in favor.
Last week, Madel held an open forum to discuss the budget and explain changes. He said that the biggest change was the addition of $15,000 to student organization funding.
“It’s good for student orgs to have more funding,” Madel said.
He said he decided to make more money available to student organizations as a result of feedback for more organization funding that he received at the forum.
The budget’s total comes to $700,000, with $115,000 directed toward student organization funding, Madel said.
Madel explained additional budget changes during Tuesday’s meeting, including the addition of money provided for the 2014 fall concert.
Madel said that with the concert back in SGA’s control, $250,000 was set aside for its production. The money for the funding of the concert came from the SGA residual fund, he said.
Madel said that other changes in the budget included the elimination of funding for the Riot and the Spring Tradition Program. He said theCrew decided to discontinue the Riot because they didn’t want it to compete with Purple Haze, a similar program sponsored by the athletic department.
Madel also said that he “wasn’t really comfortable” directing a large amount of money toward a spring tradition program.
The goal of theCrew-operated program was to establish an event that could happen year after year in the spring, he said.
“It’s a good idea,” Madel said. “But not developed enough to where it should be guaranteed funding every single year.”
Madel said Student Body President Cody Westphal, the previous treasurer, had originally directed $25,000 to the unspecified program in the 2013-2014 budget.
SGA members have the flexibility to add the program back into the budget, Madel said.
“The reason I wanted to take it out is because if we decided to not continue it, or if theCrew decided they didn’t want to do it anymore, I don’t want to have that $25,000 or more just tied up,” he said
Neeley School of Business Representative Lydia Longoria said, “I really like how we increased organizational funding. I think that’s great. I think Zach did a great job with this budget.”
Longoria is running for Treasurer for 2014-2015.
The new budget will take effect at the start of Fiscal Year 2015, according to the resolution.
“I’m happy [the budget] passed and that we have it done in time for next year,” Madel said. “I feel great, I may go to Chick-fil-A.”
During the meeting, a bill to eliminate departmental funding was tabled to the Elections and Regulations Committee. Also, a bill to purchase filming equipment for Senseless Acts of Comedy was tabled to the Finance Committee.