ASUO President Amelie Rousseau and Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee members will travel to the Lane Transit District’s office today to restart negotiations for student bus service next year.
Rousseau vetoed the ACFC’s final budget last Thursday because it didn’t include funding for the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group. However, even without OSPIRG funding, the ACFC’s growth had hit its financial ceiling allowed by ASUO rules.
Because her veto was not overturned after a Senate vote Tuesday, Rousseau thinks the committee didn’t get as much of a discount as possible, and the group of ASUO members will trek to the LTD office to make its case for a lower per-student group rate.
However, while they will be visiting the LTD office today with the intent of presenting a pitch for less money, neither Rousseau nor committee members have directly contacted LTD officials about what the specifics of their renegotiation will be.
“We haven’t talked to LTD … (I am) figuring that out with ACFC,” Rousseau said.
LTD spokesperson Andy Vobora also said he hadn’t been directly informed about the new per-student rate.
“I haven’t heard anything specific,” Vobora said. “(Rousseau) went directly to our general manager. I’m not aware that he knows anything specific either.”
ASUO Sen. Ian Fielding said he will be meeting with Rousseau after the Emerald’s news deadline on Thursday to confirm what the ASUO would be requesting. The Senate already approved a $5,078 allocation from its green energy tax credits account to supplement the amount paid to LTD, to free up money now intended to go to an OSPIRG contract.
— Franklin bains