The Student Services Finance Committee approved a budget for Recreational Sports in their meeting Monday night, and heard a proposal from the Union for 2014-2015.
Recreational Sports Master Plan Budget
SSFC approved the Recreational Sports budget in a 7-0-1 vote.
The budget, which requested $3,291,900, up from $524,800 in the 2013-2014 fiscal year, means there will be a $6 segregated fee increase per student for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. The current segregated fees for Rec Sports per student is $36.78.
Before the vote, Rec Sports Director John Horn told representatives that if the Master Plan referendum was not passed this year, they would approach SSFC for additional funding next year. He said the proposed increase would be higher than the $6 segregated fee increase currently proposed to cover repairs to the facility.
Ian Malmstadt, SSFC vice chair, said he was concerned students paying the additional $6 for the 2014-2015 fiscal year would not be at the university by the time repairs had been completed, and thus would not experience any personal gain from the segregated fee increase.
If the upcoming referendum on the new Rec Sports facilities are not passed, the increase in student fees will be used to make immediate maintenance repairs at various facilities run by Rec Sports on campus. If the referendum is approved, the $6 will be used as a credit towards the $108 dollar increase proposed for Master Plan projects.
Wisconsin Union presents 2014-2015 Budget
SSFC heard a budget proposal from the Wisconsin Union, which requested a budget of $17,703,500 for the 2014-2015 fiscal year, with $7,374,200 of these fees going to the Union Building Project.
Katie Cary, the student manager for the reinvestment project at the Wisconsin Union, said the budget focused on serving students while managing to keep student fees low and affordable.
Union President Neil Damron and Hank Walter, the associate director of the Union, presented the budget, which includes a 1.5 percent increase to continue operations, based on campus-mandated expenses. This increase would come out to a $1.99 increase per student per semester in student fees.
The budget also accounts for the Union Reinvestment Project. In 2006, a student referendum approved a $96 dollar per semester student fee designated toward the renovation and restoration of the Wisconsin Union, including the construction of Union South. This $96 dollar flat fee will not change for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.
For the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the Union anticipates a deficit of $197,400, with a positive net income of $205,900 for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. This deficit may occur because the east and central wings of Memorial Union might close for renovations, and it reflects the possible loss of dining services revenue.
On Thursday, SSFC will tour the Union and receive more in-depth information on the budget proposal. They will vote on the 2014-2015 Union budget in their meeting next Monday.
