The Student Services Finance Committee approved a $1.2 million version of the Associated Students of Madison internal operating budget, which now faces approval by the Student Council, at its meeting Monday.
SSFC cut nearly $100,000 from the 2013-’14 budget initially approved by Student Council Nov. 7, with the largest cuts coming from Finance Committee travel and events grants.
Included in the budget are funds for Varsity Day, which would be used to bring prominent speakers to campus for an end of the academic year celebration event.
Although SSFC members proposed separate motions both to increase and decrease funding for Varsity Day, neither passed and the committee approved the same amount Student Council had passed two weeks ago for the event.
SSFC Representative David Vines said the $60,000 allocated to Varsity Day is reasonable.
“This gives us enough flexibility to get other [sponsors] involved to hopefully pitch in more money,” Vines said.
The committee also cut from funds ASM uses for its own operation, including training and orientation for members and a portion of salary funds for the press office.
Student Council representative David Gardner said the Council will likely discuss cuts SSFC made, particularly those to student council trainings, when it votes on the budget.
“I believe this was very much a compromise,” Gardner said. “However, I do think there will be more conversation about the extent to which that compromise was reached at Student Council.”
Gardner added many Student Council representatives support training funds for Student Council members.
Student Council will vote on the budget at its Nov. 28 meeting.
