Implementation of a resolution presented to the Undergraduate Student Government Senate might increase the time line to make financial decisions while attempting to ensure more accountability in spending.
Four main resolutions were presented to the Undergraduate Student Government for vote Wednesday night, one of which regarded finacial responsibility and accountability and was sent back to the Policy and Governance Committee for amendments after nearly an hour of debate.
The other three main resolutions passed – two unanimously – and dealt with USG communication and Cabinet structure.
Resolution 38-R-1, titled “A Resolution to Ensure Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Accountability,” called for all programs, projects and expenditures of more than $500 to be submitted as a bill for Senate approval. The bill must be accompanied with a outline of the purpose, need, estimated budget and estimated timeline for the project, program or expenditure, according to the resolution.
Nick Benson, primary sponsor of the resolution and Speaker of the Senate, said he sponsored the resolution because “there was a lot of ill-planning for some of the events last year.”
“We spent large sums of money on things that people didn’t come to,” he said.
“A lot of people complain about the way USG money is spent and without there being any real oversight the president and her Cabinet (are) free to do whatever they want without really any democratic decision-making process,” Benson said. “We wanted to implement those standards to make sure the money is well spent and to make sure that there is a good plan in place for it.”
Currently, the Senate passes a budget for the executive branch that then allocates funds to different committees. Committees use those funds for different programs, projects and expenditures under their responsibilities, said USG President Suzanne Scharer.
“As soon as the budget is passed, any money that is allocated in that budget they spend without any oversight from the Senate,” Benson said.
Benson said several concerns caused the resolution to be sent back to the Policy and Governance Committee: a lack of an emergency situation exemption, the $500 or more spending category and the extended time line for spending approval.
“An emergency clause (for situations such as riots) is very important,” Scharer said.
She also said Cabinet spending approval goes through four people – the president, treasurer, office assistant and the USG adviser – before it is sent to the university for approval. She said this process takes about two weeks and if the resolution were to pass as written, the process would take four weeks.
She said that the extended time line would hinder USG’s success to be an advocate of students.
“I think that … (it) is very reasonable to have a plan in place four weeks in advance for an event,” Benson said.
Scharer said that communication was a factor in the creation of this resolution.
“It is a lack of communication that spawned this. It is a commitment to communication that we’ve already shown that will negate this resolution,” she said.
She said that senators can be informed about how money is being spent without this resolution by attending weekly meetings, reading meeting minutes online and working with the executive branch.
The resolution will go to the Policy and Governance Committee for review today and will be brought back to the Senate for vote Wednesday.
A resolution requiring each Cabinet to have only one director passed 24-8 with three abstaining.
Benson said that having multiple directors for committees created a lack of accountability and room for conflict.
Two resolutions, which both passed unanimously, called for the keeping of accurate records – including meeting minutes, senatorial attendance and voting records, all budgetary information and USG Judicial Panel decisions among other information – and posting that information on USG’s Web site.
