The Student Senate over-allocated funds at its last meeting, causing the ASUO Executive to issue a veto of both the $26,689 slotted to purchase a new drumline for the Oregon Marching Band and $35,000 to aid in the purchase of an electronic ticketing system for the Athletic Department.
Sen. Neil Brown said the allocation was the result of an accounting error. While the Senate believed it did have the funds to allocate, the account had far less than estimated.
The Senate will hold an emergency meeting this Wednesday to select a summer committee and to re-vote on the OMB allocation, Sen. Jonathan Rosenberg said.
Brown said the Senate will find funds to purchase the drumline.
“We’re going to work hard to make sure that happens,” he said. “We’ve just got to piece the funds together, but it will happen.”
Although the Senate currently has five open seats, and three and possibly four current senators have said they will be available during summer, Senate rules state the committee must be made up of a minimum of six senators.
Rosenberg said ASUO President Emily McLain assured him she would have some appointments for the Senate to consider this week. McLain did not return a phone call Sunday. Senate rules state the summer committee may not confirm any appointments, so any appointments must be confirmed by the regular Senate on Wednesday.
Rosenberg said although the summer committee may be made up of no fewer than six senators, the group would be able to reach quorum with four, meaning the Senate could appoint six senators, even if only four were available during summer term.
“It’s in the best interest for us to do it that way. It would be a huge mistake to not have a summer Senate,” Rosenberg said. “It would be wrong for students.”
The Summer Senate may allocate $5,000 in surplus funds and is required to meet once a month.
Another concern of the Executive is that the allocation to electronic ticketing was budgeted in a line item for the Athletic Department Finance Committee budget. If for some reason the Athletic Department failed to spend those funds before June 30, the allocation would roll over. The current budgeting system punishes groups that do not spend the majority of their budgets, and the allocation would appear to be unspent funds during next year’s budget process.
Rosenberg said unless a senator asked him to put the electronic ticket allocation on Wednesday’s agenda, he did not intend to do so. Sen. Kyle McKenzie, who has worked all year with the Athletic Department on implementing the new system, said Sunday he did not plan to add it to the agenda.
In order to override the presidential veto, the Senate would need the support of two-thirds of the filled seats.
Rosenberg said funds in the over-realized account are constantly changing and therefore hard to measure.
“The main issue was we just didn’t have all the information,” he said.
Brown said he and many other senators are committed to supplying the OMB with funds for a new drumline this year.
“Their situation is different than e-ticketing. There’s an emergency there,” Brown said. “Their equipment is falling apart. They need this money now.”
A letter sent by McLain and ASUO Vice President Chii-San SunOwen to the Senate explaining the veto said the Executive has offered to partially fund a new drumline and expresses hope the Senate will be able to find the rest in surplus.
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