After the previous Treasurer was allegedly fired for refusing to sign a $20,000 budget transfer request, Student Body President Samantha Mims and Student Body Vice President Cole Poppell discussed the budget transfer request and ex-Treasure Theodore Mason’s termination.

The $20,000 Budget Transfer Request was overviewed by Poppell and was a transfer from the wages line in the Osprey Productions budget. Poppell noticed there was an excess amount of money in the wages line as not all the positions were filled throughout the entire year, meaning that $20,000 would roll over into general reserve.

$15,000 was requested to go to the miscellaneous line in the operating expenses budget in order to cover the costs of an industrial printer, office supplies, and a popcorn machine. The $15,000 was never expected to be used in full, according to Poppell.

“The original intent was never to spend that much money on those three things,” Poppell said. “It was so that we had the availability to spend that money, if we were to find something of good value and would be a benefit to the student body.”

Any Budget Transfer Request has to get the signatures of seven people, including the SG Treasurer and the SG Budget and Allocation (BAC) Chair. The BAC chair at the time, Shawn Adamson, did not sign the request because he felt the budget transfer was a significant amount and wanted it to go in front of senate.

“I’d say that currently, the spending proposed in the miscellaneous supplies category is too divergent from the originally intended allocation wages for this change to occur without being voted on by the B&A committee as well as the greater Senate body,” said Adamson in an email between himself and Poppell. “I feel that it is inappropriate for my office to be deliberating the efficacy of spending, which I believe is more the role of my committee and the Senate.”

In an email between Mason and Poppell, Mason said he did sign the transfer request but he didn’t understand the request. Poppell then asked to withdraw the request on May 28 because he did not feel comfortable with the acting-Treasurer signing the request if he did not understand it.

“I appreciate your concern, however I do not want you to move forward signing documents for the sake of expediency if you believe you do not have an adequate understanding behind the intent of the fiscal request,” Poppell said in an email to Mason.

Mims said that she fired Mason for unprofessionalism. According to Mims, during a meeting on May 26 between members of the Executive Branch and Professional Staff, Mason started to yell.

She was concerned with his behavior and on May 30 told Mason that he wasn’t the right fit for Treasurer but offered him other positions within the Executive Branch. Mason left the Executive Branch all together and is now planning to run for a senator position.

Spinnaker reached out to Mason but he declined to comment on the matter.

***Correction: A previous version of this read that the $20,000 would roll over into excess fees. The allotted money would roll over into general reserve, not excess fees.  The previous version also read that $15,000 was requested to go to miscellaneous items however, it was requested to go to the miscellaneous line in the operating expenses budget. We regret the errors. 

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