Treasurer says budget on track

With less than five months left in its fiscal year, Student Government is on track to finish the year okay financially, student body Treasurer Ebbie Yazdani said in his report to the body Wednesday night.

But his 25-minute budget report provided interesting information about how the body is using its university funding.

By the end of the year, the Healthy Carolina Farmer’s Market will have cost the University approximately twice what it was budgeted. Student Government allocated $3,000 for the monthly event, but an abundance of vendors, along with other unforeseen costs, has jumped the cost to about $6,000 for the fiscal year.

That’s to be expected, Student Body President Meredith Ross said. It’s a start-up program that’s still incurring initial costs, and if the organization is going to spend a lot of money on any program, she’s “glad it’s one the community has come to depend upon.”

“But we’ve got a federal grant, and we’re doing fundraising to cover the cost,” Yazdani said. “We’ll be fine on all that.”

With over half the fiscal year over, Student Government has spent about 10 percent of the $4,000 that was allocated for office supplies. That’s not surprising to some, including Sen. Ben Bullock, who criticized the body in the spring for allocating such a large amount. 

Should the Senate so choose, it can reallocate the money to other initiatives, Yazdani said. If it leaves the money in the budget, it will be lost upon the end of the year.

“So if you like office supplies, you should come to the Student Government office,” Yazdani said with a laugh.

Carolina Convoy was a success for the University, as all tickets were sold for Saturday’s trip to Tuscaloosa. The project cost the organization $1,990. 

Approximately 10 percent, or $3,200, is spent advertising the organization inside The Daily Gamecock. 

About another 15 percent, or $5,100, is spent sending a group of eight student Congressional Advisory Board members to Washington, D.C. to meet with national leaders. That’s a large expenditure for only eight students to travel, but Student Government leaders say the trip is vital to the organization’s continued success.

“It gives us a chance for direct student lobbying to national legislators,” Ross said. “The organization works all year on policy proposals to be taken to Washington.”

Outside of budgeting, Sens. Kate Allison and Megan Ananian proposed a resolution that asks professors to be lenient with students suffering from swine flu. It was passed unanimously.

Andy Shaffer, the general manager of the Barnes and Noble inside the Russell House, said the bookstore would likely test a textbook rental program in the fall. A lot of solutions are still in the works, he said, but his company is meeting with university deans and students to make improvements.

“We want to make the textbook situation better,” he said. “And if we can get everyone on board and turning their book orders in on time, we can look for more solutions.”