The Associated Students of Madison Coordinating Council members voiced their opinions and asked questions on line items within the 2015-’16 ASM internal budget at a meeting Wednesday.
The internal budget allocates segregated fees to fund ASM staff wages and general operations, as well as grants and services for students.
Coordinating Council will vote on the internal budget before it moves to student council, where all representatives will be able to give input on the document. ASM Chair Gen Carter wanted to make sure there was a clear understanding of the budget.
“This is brought to student council and it is important that all of us understand the budget, know what’s in it and how to talk about these line items,” Carter said.
Sustainability Committee Chair Kyla Kaplan proposed $50,000 for the Green Fund, which is a reduction from the current $80,000. Currently, the Green Fund bylaws are being rewritten due to a conflict with F50, a document that describes how to allocate segregated fees.
“We understand that [the Green Fund] wasn’t as successful as we had hoped this year, so being fiscally responsible is the right thing to do to accept that for right now,” Kaplan said.
Kaplan is currently looking into other options to structure the Green Fund, but she said she does not want to completely give up on it.
Legislative Affairs Committee Chair Tom Gierok also proposed a vote coordinator position to help organize future voting campaigns.
The ASM voter registration campaign ended Wednesday with ASM having registered approximately 2,800 students to vote in the midterm elections. Gierok said ASM will continue to educate students before the election.
“Helping people to register honestly I think is one of the best services we can provide,” Gierok said.
Tags: ASM, Associated Students of Madison, Coordinating Council, Gen Carter, Kyla Kaplan, Tom Gierok, Green Fund
