Student Government Association (SGA) Finance Committee approved all nine of the annually funded campus organizations for next year, but cut many of the requested budgets due to an $11,829.58 deficit.
SGA, WZRD (Campus radio station), Black Heritage Gospel Choir, and Northeastern Programming Board (NPB) had their budgets trimmed. The budget for Development Funds increased to $5,430.42 from $5,000 in last year’s budget. The remaining three budgets for the Independent, Apocalypse, Que Onde Sola and the Event-by-Event budgets were approved unchanged.
“You are going to regret this,” said committee member Angelo Alto in response to an $8,500 cut to SGA’s budget. Model Illinois Government (MIG) line items were removed and also decreased $1,000 for the money spent on food as well. “But Al Cordero was planning to set up a club for [MIG] anyway and have its own budget,” responded committee member Richard Morris. Their budget was resolved and approved three to one, and the remaining budgets were approved unanimously.
NPB’s budget was cut $1,760, decreasing their coordinators from five to four. Black Heritage Gospel Choir had their budget reduced $1,500. WZRD had $500 cut from their budget.
This year’s budget deficit was $2,645.66 more than this year’s difference in money available and the money requested. The total money available for next year is $339,595.22 the funding originally requested was $351,424.80. This year the money available is $310,912 and the funds originally requested was $320,096.
The budgets then go before SGA for final approval in a meeting on Tuesday March 27 during activity hour in room SU-215.