The ASCC Senate has called a special meeting today at 2 p.m. in BK111 to finish discussing the budget proposal set forth by the budget committee.
The meeting is special because its last meeting was supposed to be last week.
Among one of the many subjects of discussion was the administrative secretary position which is funded 50 percent by the ASCC budget, the funding for the atheltics department, the possible distribution of the additional $106,000 reallocated from fiscal services and whether to fund summer club events.
Ultimately, the senate declined the requested allocation of $36,000 to the administrative secretary position with senators raising questions regarding why there was money being allocated from ASCC funds.
Party Whip Athena Sanchez said, “It seems like that was done over our heads, there was no discussion about it in senate and what he had found out from [Senator] Aldemar Sanchez from the board, the minutes…that funding for that position was coming from the general fund.” Dean of Student Services Gilbert Contreras addressed these concerns. According to him, the money being used is money that already existed with the ASCC budget. The money is allocated for hourly workers in Student Services, but he made the decision to use the money to hire a permanent classified employee.
He said, “Last year’s senate approved the budget, but this year I pushed the budget committee to create subcategories that are a very clear and specific instead of gaving one big pot of recreational events, so we had better tracking.”
During the discussion, some senators questioned the legality of the position. He added that the decision did not have to be presented to senate because the budget had already been approved and that it would be like micromanaging the dean.
Dr. Mary Anne Gularte, vice president of human services reiterated that its perfectly legal for there to be a clasified in that area.
As of yet, the budget has been adjusted with recommendations regarding the additional $106,000 from the Follett contract and according to Contreras, the money has grown due to the cuts implemented by senate. The process by which they been analyzing the budget is line by line. Senators Aldemar Sanchez and Janet stated during the meeting that there was actually $12,000 allocated from fiscal services. Contreras explained that the number was reduced to $106,000 because of adjustments to projected expenditures, so in effect that $6,000 did not go anywhere.
Contreras added, “Even with the additional $106,000 instead of thinking how to do more, we’re going line by line and cutting and doing less.”
He feels that the senate has been undermining the decisions of the budget committee and that there are too much politics.
He said, “The budget committee spent hours and keeping the staff here,”
The senate meeting also discussed whether or not to fund summer extracurricular club events. There was a motion not to fund the events but after a funding an event by the Psychology Club, senate took a stance not to fund summer events.
