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SG budget stirs controversy
By Jelena Vicic
October 9, 2008
Nominal figures higher than those initially presented
The nominal Student Government (SG) budget is larger than the amount of available funds presented at the ASA, as well as to the Board of Trustees (BoT) at the October 3-5 meeting. The announced $18,550 budget did not include the depreciation and facility transferable costs, as well as the $2,500 designated for Verve, which suggested that the amount granted actually decreased from the last academic year.
SG treasurer Leorand Ndoni said that according to the document received from the Student Services Office, only $18,550 of the actual $21,997 budget is available to SG discretion. The money that cannot be used is the frozen amount “that [includes] $1,629 for depreciation and $1,778 for facility transferable costs,” Ndoni said.
According to the report written by Nora Georgieva, the Student Representative to the BoT, the SG budget “has been cut by $3,000 (from $21,500 to $18,550), while there is no indication that student activities will decline [this academic year].”
However, AUBG Vice President for Finance and Administration Alexander Alexandrov said the actual budget this academic year is $24,897, which is an increase from $21,225 granted last year. “I am very disappointed. […] factually incorrect information made its way to the Board Book without anybody asking [me].”
“We don’t have any amount that is [close to] $24,000 in here, but then I hope that it’s a misunderstanding,” Ndoni said. “We are going to work closely [with] Alexandrov in order to find the solution,” SG president Vasile Valcov said.
“There’s a $2,500 piece of the SG budget that was designated in a project code for Verve [publication], and they [the SG] did not put that in their budget when they presented it,” Dean of Students Lydia Krise said. “They made a mistake.”
“I got this [the figures] from Lydia’s office and that’s what they gave me. That’s what they said when they trained me – this is the budget that I have to represent,” Ndoni said. “I would say [the problem comes from] lack of pure communication between administration,” Ndoni said.
“Money presented at the ASA [September 25, 2008] is the money that can be used. Last year, $21,500 that [could have been] used was presented to the ASA, not including the $4,000, which was added in spring,” Ndoni added. “There is no reason to include [the depreciation and transferable costs], because it cannot be used. [...]It was never included.”
Georgieva said she had received all the information and budget figures from the SG, and after compiling her report she showed it to Krise for comments and suggestions. “[Krise] made a little adjustment here to reflect the $4,000 [SG received in Spring]. [She] looked at it and said it was fine.” Georgieva said she was not informed about the Verve fund.
“I was not thrilled with the way that was worded in the student report because I did think it was misleading. […] The report said the administration cut the budget; in fact there is a representative committee that made a recommendation that was then accepted,” AUBG President David Huwlier said.
“I can say the numbers are in accordance with Nora’s work, our [SG] work, and Lydia’s supervisory work,” Ndoni said.
Krise said Valcov should have known about the size of the budget, as she discussed the Verve fund with him before the board meeting. “Leo didn’t know about it before, because I don’t think Lika told him,” Krise said.
“My worries are that we talked about transparency, we talked about communication, and then the very first communication, that I get on this issue, is in the Board Book, which to me is an issue and I’ll raise it [with] the SG and the [student] rep,” Alexandrov said.
“It was a misunderstanding. It’s the same money that they [the SG] had last year and these guys [Valcov and Ndoni] are both new to doing the budget stuff,” which is why they did not add the Verve fund back in the budget they presented, Krise said.
Ndoni added Verve was not included as a part of the SG budget presented at ASA last year. “We cannot say it’s our money because [...] we cannot distribute it.” He said that even if the amount for Verve is added to the budget figures, “we will add it on both sides [SG budgets of FY 2007-08 and FY 2008-09], which will still make the same difference.”
“It’s always been that way – they [the SG] never had control over the Verve money,” Krise added. The SG is officially responsible for holding it, but the publication and the office of he Student Services are the ones responsible for its distribution and management.
