Amplify, the Student Government Association executive slate, presented its proposed budget to senators at the SGA meeting Wednesday. Senators approved the budget 40 to 2.
The budget outlined the slate’s allocated spending of $73,902.40, said SGA treasurer Jalen Jones. Amplify has a total budget of $76,784.97 to draw from.
The budget includes money for student wages, senator initiatives and Amplify’s 16 platform points. However, nine of the points have no listed anticipated expenses.
The executive slate’s budget was approved later than normal into the semester because the university revised its student organization fees policy, Jones said.
RELATED: Student organization fees policy revised after lawsuit
“We’ve wanted to have legislation moving, and not only legislation, but our platform points. And it costs money,” Jones said. “Not having the money available at the time has been a bit difficult.”
Additionally, this revision decreased Amplify’s budget. The executive slate last year had a budget totalling $99,227, approximately $22,000 more than this year’s budget, according to a previous Daily News story.
Before the budget was approved, senators discussed the proposed budget. Several expressed possible changes to make to the budget.
Senator Kirk Malone suggested the $250 be shifted from guest speaker section to another spot in the budget. SGA has not had a history of paying for speakers, he said.
“I think it might be a waste to have it just sitting there,” Malone said. “I don’t think we ever paid anyone to come into senate to speak to us.”
While none of these changes were implemented today, Jones said senators can propose amendments to the budget throughout the year.
“We are pretty open to [budget] decisions that seem the best fit for SGA as a whole,” Jones said. “We are giving a voice to the entire Ball State student body.”
In other news, senators approved Cole Callahan to be SGA’s communications director.
Callahan plans to build SGA’s brand by possibly starting an SGA weekly newsletter and increasing SGA’s social media content.
Contact Liz Rieth with comments at ejrieth@bsu.edu or on Twitter @liz_rieth.
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