‘Inconsiderate’ budget requests denied by apportionment board
Eastern’s Apportionment Board denied the budgets proposed by both the student government and University Board, mandating that each group make cuts of more than $3,800 before being approved.
The AB met Thursday to discuss how to divide up more than a half million dollars from the student activity fee to comprise the fiscal year 2011 budgets of the four fee-funded bodies on campus.
The total sum of money requested by each of the bodies, including the University Board, Student Recreation Center, student government and the AB, amounted to more than the maximum $540,000 available to allocate.
Board members were responsible for determining where to make cuts in the amount of $7,653 from the four budgets.
To do this, the AB voted to split the overage between the UB and student government budgets on the grounds that both organizations requested more money for next year than was provided for this year.
AB member Mark Kattenbraker said he felt it was inconsiderate of the two boards to request more, given the university’s current financial crisis.
“Everyone is being asked to make cuts from top to bottom,” Kattenbraker said. “I have a hard time justifying giving more money to anyone than they got for this year.”
The AB voted unanimously to reduce the UB’s requested budget by $3,827, granting the organization $246,445 for next year.
Members also voted unanimously to reduce the student government’s requested budget by $3,825.
Student government was granted a budget of $50,145 for next year.
Members of both boards will be responsible for complying with the decisions by re-examining their budgets and making the necessary cuts.
Once adjusted, they will present their new budgets to the AB for
approval.
Board members then approved the student recreation center’s requested budget of $220,000, a decrease of 2.7 percent from last year’s budget.
They also approved their own budget of $23,950, down by $355 from last year’s allocation.
Erica Whelan can be reached at 581-7942
‘Inconsiderate’ budget requests denied by apportionment board
Currently, Eastern has billed the state for $30 million of its $50 million appropriation. However, the state is having problems meeting the financial obligations to the university (File Photo/The Daily Eastern News)
