Committee approves AHA budget

The University of Wisconsin’s student government met Thursday in continuation of their budget hearings and decisions, in addition to reconsidering a previous budget decision.

The Student Services Finance Committee reconsidered the budget for the student organization Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics. The committee discussed two motions proposed by AHA regarding adjustments to the salary and equipment lines of the budget.

The committee originally rejected AHA’s proposed $3,000 for the purchase of a video camera to select events put on by the organization, and passed the budget with no funds allocated for this equipment. In their reconsideration, the committee amended the budget to include $700 for the purchase of video camera by the organization.

According to SSFC Rep. Devon Maier $3,000 was a “ridiculous” amount given the uses of the camera. SSFC Rep. Ron Crandall echoed this view. 

“[We should] try to put things in perspective for fiscal responsibility,” he said. “We can fund them for a camera, just not for that much.”

SSFC Rep. David Vines advocated for granting AHA $700 for different video camera, since the same amount had been awarded to other organizations for similar equipment.

While the organization did not vote to reinstate the Executive Director position per the request of AHA, the committee amended the budget to increase the president position by three hours per week. This change was intended to allow the organization to continue to carry out their direct services, Vines said.

After reconsidering the budget, SSFC approved a new budget of $69,161.10 for fiscal year 2013-2014 by a vote of 7-0. According to SSFC Chair Ellie Bruecker, the decision to grant General Student Services Fund funding to AHA has been making national news because it is the largest amount granted to a secular student organization in the nation.

SSFC also unanimously approved a budget of $154,804.17 for Adventure Learning Programs, a student organization that leads team-building workshops.

In order to stay consistent with previous budget decisions, SSFC representatives voted to strike food and beverage expenses in the staff training line of the budget. Bruecker explained for other organizations the committee approved these funds for kickoff events, but decreased them for staff training events.

The committee also increased the space rental line of the Adventure Learning Programs budget to allow the organization to rent their high ropes course for a longer period of time. According to Crandall, this is a good idea because the service has always been highly utilized.

The committee also held a budget hearing for the Associated Students of Madison internal budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year.

SSFC Rep. German Larrain expressed concern with the $60,000 budgeted for a keynote speaker for the ASM created event “Varsity Day.”

According to ASM Chair Andrew Bulovsky, this is the minimum amount they can have to bring in a high quality speaker.

Bulovsky explained the event and the speaker will benefit both students and the university as a whole. A well-known keynote speaker will raise the national visibility of the university, he said.

The committee will vote on whether to approve the ASM internal budget at its next meeting Monday, Nov. 26.