Students will still have access to University football and basketball tickets next season, but next year’s Student Senate may need to create a reserve fund so student government can continue to purchase tickets in years to come.
The Senate approved the 2008-09 budget for the Athletic Department Finance Committee, which negotiates student tickets with the athletic department, Wednesday night after removing $15,000 that was intended to offset the cost of games in the 2009-10 academic year.
Sen. Kate Jones said including the money would not have been “legal or appropriate” because the contract did not specify how the money would be used and because student fees have to be spent in the fiscal year they were allocated.
“I think it was a good compromise on everyone’s part,” ADFC Chairman Kyle McKenzie said of the approved contract. “We got a lot accomplished as long as we can keep that $15,000 somewhere in the equation.”
The number of home football games fluctuates from year to year. In the 2008-09 school year there will be six. The following year there will be seven. This will result in an increase in the committee’s budget for 2009-10 that could be larger that ASUO rules allow. Every budget is capped at a 7 percent increase each year.
McKenzie said that if the $15,000 had been included the committee would probably need a 6.8 percent increase for 2009-10 to pay for tickets to the extra game. Because the extra funds were cut, the committee will need a 7.2 percent increase.
There are other potential sources for the $15,000.
One option is for next year’s Senate to create a reserve fund that could be used to normalize the committee’s budget from year to year despite the fluctuating numbers of games.
Senators are considering a resolution to outline the reasoning behind cutting the money and encouraging next year’s Senate to create the reserve fund.
Another option, McKenzie said, is to restructure the ADFC fund that subsidizes events held in McArthur Court.
McKenzie said the fund currently has around $32,000 that could be used to subsidize the committee’s budget until a more long-term solution is created.
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