After months of hearings, the Student Government Senate passed its proposed 2009-2010 Activity and Service Fee Budget Feb. 16.
The $3.4 million budget, which was a $150,000 increase from the previous fiscal year’s budget, included increases for 13 campus organizations.
Many of these increases were due to a change in how the university manages the Federal Insurance Contributions Act payroll taxes, SG Treasurer Mark Smith said.
The school has been required to keep 7.65 percent to pay OPS employees, but because of the change, UNF will only have to keep 1.45 percent. The remainder was added to the organizations’ budgets, he said.
The increase in minimum wage was also a factor in the increases.
The other two organizations that had an increase in their budget was the Student Union and SG Executive accounts.
The majority of the increase for SG was the transfer of funds to allow it to pay for advertisements through student media, Smith said.
The 20 remaining groups received a cut from the budget or remained the same, with Greek Life receiving one of the largest cuts of $18,884.
DECREASE
GREEK LIFE
The largest decrease – more than $18,000 – will bring its budget to $2,250.
This cut was a result of the decision not to fund the Greek Book, an annual book that highlights the organization, Student Body President John Barnes said. It will be funded through ads.
DECREASE
SYUDENT UNION BUILDING
The largest increase – more than $200,000 – will bring its budget to $785,344.65.
The facility will open in May 2009 and will require more paid employees. Smith said $150,000 of the increase will go to hire more student employees.
