The student government revisited an approved the budget for Homecoming Committee in a meeting last night. 

Discussion and vote regarding funding for the Homecoming Committee was taken again last night to ensure accordance with financial bylaws. The Associated Students of Madison ultimately approved the funding by a vote of 13-4.

ASM Chair Andrew Bulovsky said Homecoming Committee had to bring its request in front of the Student Council because the student organization did not follow proper procedure during last week’s meeting.

Bulovsky said as a result of state and federal laws, each member of Student Council is required to explain why they are voting the way they are, a stipulation ASM’s Student Council failed to meet last week.

UW Homecoming Committee President Stacy Day spoke in open forum and said she wanted to remind the body of the important services the organization provides.

Day outlined four important services Homecoming Committee provides for students, citing an educational opportunity for more than 25,000 students each year, an opportunity to connect students with other students and organizations on campus, an opportunity for students to connect with the university and an opportunity for students to give back to the community.

“[Homecoming] is a celebration of what this university is and what this university means,” Day said.

ASM Rep. Jamie Wheeler said she supported the amendment last week and added considering the importance of the event, she did not believe Homecoming Week is duplicated in any sense in any way by anything else on campus.

Wheeler said Homecoming Week’s outreach aspect and its ability to stimulate a feeling of connectedness between students and the university are aspects ASM values in all of its considerations while granting funding to organizations.

“I really think that this event, in order to be carried out to the full extent that it has been planned, should be funded at a level that is reflective of its impact on campus,” Wheeler said.

ASM Vice Chair Maria Giannapolous said she believes the Homecoming Committee representatives have made it clear their organization will be spending their money in a fiscally responsible manner.

Giannapolous added the money the committee requested is needed for it to carry out its mission on campus.

She said $40,000 was added to the ASM event grant budget for the purpose of funding homecoming in the fall and the All Campus Party in the spring because they were removed from the ASM internal budget this year.

ASM Press Office Director David Gardner said he thinks the additional money added into the event grant budget takes yearlong funding finance procedures for student organizations into consideration.

ASM Finance Committee Chair Andrew Kidd said he would not vote to approve the homecoming budget.

Kidd said he is against the proposed budget for the reason that in accordance with ASM laws on funding decisions, the Finance Committee should take into consideration the amount of money needed for all organizations throughout the course of the year. 

Student Council ultimately approved funding for homecoming of $20,897 as opposed to the previous approval of $8,602 by the ASM Finance Committee.