Senators asked only a few questions Wednesday night as next year’s budget for the ASUO Programs Finance Committee passed quickly through the Student Senate — emerging unscathed.
The PFC garnered a budget of $2,388,579 to fund 105 ASUO programs — a 4.66 percent increase over this year’s budget and the exact amount it asked for.
It passed in full even though the PFC budgeted $42,450 more than the senate approved for the committee last fall.
“We came in over benchmark,” said Sen. Mary Elizabeth Madden, chairwoman for the PFC. “We’ll admit it.”
Madden was quick to point out, however, that the PFC felt justified in the increases it was asking for.
Whipping out visuals, Madden outlined the specific increases the committee thought were necessary, which included additional funds to groups such as the Designated Driver Shuttle, Forensics and ASUO Legal Services.
“We put our time, our energy and our hearts into this budget and making sure it was fair,” Madden said. “We did the best we could with limited resources.”
Most of the questions posed to the PFC came from Sen. Andy Elliott, who asked Madden where cuts would be made if necessary.
Madden said cuts would likely be made to student government groups, including the ASUO Executive and the senate.
The budget passed with three senators opposed and 12 senators in favor.
“I think it looks like a really good budget and supports a lot of programming,” said Sen. C.J. Gabbe.
Though he was in favor, Gabbe added he was concerned about how the senate handled the PFC’s budget compared to the way it handled the EMU’s proposed budget increases two weeks ago.
When the EMU approached the senate Feb. 14, it asked for a 6.82 percent increase for its budget next year. The senate approved a 6.4 percent increase for the EMU in the fall, however, and the difference of .42 percent spurred more than an hour of debate.