Last spring, the University of Wisconsin’s student body voted overwhelmingly in favor of new campus recreation facilities. The first two phases of the project, the Southeast Recreational Facility and Near West Playfield, go before the State Building Commission this spring with the hopes of moving forward.

Unfortunately, the $300 million proposed cut to the UW System has undermined the solvency of the Division of Recreational Sports in ways no one could have predicted a year ago. Left unaddressed, these solvency issues could delay construction on new facilities by two years at a minimum, with fees going up significantly in the meantime to support maintaining existing facilities. As the chair of the Student Services Finance Committee, I believe it is paramount that we increase the student fee for Rec Sports by $7 per student in order to ease concerns over solvency, and ensure Rec Sports can operate successfully as it looks to begin construction on the Master Plan.

From the onset of the Master Plan project, students and administration pledged to do everything in our power to delay any major increase to the Rec Sports fee until new facilities started to open. Unfortunately, potential budget cuts have forced the university to repurpose current gift money toward necessary academic functions.

That being said, the university’s commitment to contribute 43 percent of the funding for the Master Plan has not changed; rather, this proposal would essentially swap short-term gift money with long-term segregated fee revenue to free up money for operation costs now, while keeping the overall cost to students the same. I am confident this move will allow Rec Sports to improve their solvency and protect services critical to students, including building hours, programming and student wages.

The current state budget and moratorium on capital projects leave the Master Plan project schedule in a precarious position. I believe any delay to the Rec Sports Master Plan would be fiscally irresponsible; a delay would mean band-aid repairs to the SERF and Natatorium may no longer be enough. The SERF alone has millions of dollars in repairs and maintenance that were delayed after the successful referendum. A third party consultant recently found more than $17 million in necessary repairs and code requirements — none of which do a thing to increase the size of the weight room or free up space in the basketball courts.

The NAT and Camp Randall Sports Center, known as the Shell, are much older, and in need of even more repair and maintenance. Furthermore, any delay would likely result in the loss of the Shell as overflow capacity when construction does finally begin. This proposed increase of segregated fees ensures a fiscally responsible budget, and protects the student body against a multitude of unknown expenses.

The state often applies particular scrutiny to UW System projects to protect students and keep costs down. A segregated fee swap allows us to approach the State Building Commission at the end of March with confidence and improved solvency, while also ensuring student services aren’t reduced in light of budget cuts. Most importantly, it demonstrates that students at UW are passionate about carrying out a vision created and approved by students.

Devon Maier ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in economics and political science and chairs the Associated Students of Madison Student Services Finance Committee.