Approval of student groups’ budgets for next year was delayed for the third time after controversy surrounding potential pay cuts for some student leaders led the ASUO Student Senate to postpone on Wednesday night making a decision on the $5.23 million budget.
Representatives of student groups continued to express concerns over the cuts and reductions in the number of paid positions some groups are allowed, asking Senators not to approve the budget and saying changes in pay would affect groups’ abilities to function and hinder the University’s diversity goals.
The Programs Finance Committee, the group that allocates student fees, now has until 9 p.m. Monday to rework its budget, which it has already wrestled with for more than two months in attempt to stay within funding limits. The Senate, which was scheduled to finalize the budget tonight, will meet again Monday to rehear the budget.
The ASUO Executive must submit the final budget to University administration by April 6, five days later than normal.
The new pay schedule presented by the PFC as part of the budget would prohibit several groups from receiving any paid positions and reduce the number of paid positions for about 23 groups, according to PFC documents.
Committee members approved the cuts as one method to reduce spending after the PFC initially overspent its budget.
Yet Senators were reluctant to pass a budget containing the current pay cuts, citing vehement opposition by student leaders.
Nontraditional Student Union member David Watson asked the Senate not to “take our leadership away,” saying groups may not survive on the current PFC budget.
“They betrayed you, and they betrayed us,” he said to the senators.
PFC Chairwoman Persis Pohowalla asked the Senate to “consider all of the obstacles (the PFC) had to battle” while creating the budget.
“The reality of my budget is that it’s not pretty; I’m not going to sugar coat it,” she said, adding that the committee “exhausted, I think, every possibility there was.”
ASUO Vice President Mena Ravassipour presented the Executive’s recommendation that roughly $7,000 in additional funds be allocated to provide stipends to groups allocated none for this year, bringing the budget to the 7 percent cap allowed by the Green Tape Notebook. The recommendation also included the creation of a committee to administrate a relief fund on an individual basis to groups whose stipends were cut.
The relief fund may have been created with Senate surplus funds or nonrealized funds.
Senators, PFC members and group representatives debated the feasibility of making additional changes and merits of several options to reduce the budget further.
Former PFC member Mason Quiroz, who was removed in early March after the Constitution Court found he violated neutrality standards, said groups have worked for years to earn stipend positions.
Quiroz suggested analyzing contract groups. Unlike other student groups, contract groups such as Lane Transit District receive lump-sums of money instead of itemized budgets.
Senator Rona Yang suggested looking at Sexual Assault Support Services, a contract group she said gained funds this year without money from the PFC.
Several group members insisted they would be willing to help the PFC with calculations, but ASUO President Adam Petkun pointed out that anyone working on the budget needs proper training in viewpoint neutrality and accounting, which he said may not be possible.

[email protected]