Although in the past the Finance Committee has drafted the over $1.1 million internal budget, some ASM leaders are now pushing to have that changed.
The changes, which passed through the first phase of ratification in a 13-3 vote during Wednesday's student council meeting, aim to move the responsibility of drafting the initial budget to the Coordinating Council, which is comprised of the chairs of all the separate committees.
ASM's internal budget pays the stipends of some student council members, provides direct student services and accounts for ASM programming and administration.
Most members of the student council spoke positively of the proposed bylaw changes.
The chair of the Finance Committee, Matt Beemsterboer, even came out in support of the changes and said his committee should not have the responsibility of drafting the budget.
""[The Finance Committee] allocates event, travel and operations grants, and the only reason we have anything to do with internal budget right now is because our name is the ‘Finance Committee,'"" said Beemsterboer, who hopes to change the committee's name to the Grant Committee come spring.
Yet other members of the council expressed concerns about the changes.
Representative Max Love said he fears the changes may concentrate too much power in the hands of the council and would have preferred that the committee chairs work within the existing system in cooperation with the Finance Committee—which is composed primarily of students who are part of the Student Council.
Vice Chair Adam Johnson, who proposed the bylaw changes, said the changes would improve the internal budget by avoiding a scenario in which portions of the budget go unused and facilitate a more effective delegation of funds.
Johnson believes the chairs of the committees have the best idea of ASM's budgetary needs.
The proposed changes need to be brought back to the council for a second approval by two-thirds vote at the next meeting.
