IUSA oversight committee offers revised budget

The IU Student Association’s Congress Oversight and Reform Committee suggested cuts of about $7,500 from the 2014 IUSA budget, which was presented to Congress members in a meeting Sept. 4.

Press Secretary Connor Shaw, who also sits on the IORC, said although the proposed cuts total about $7,500, he expects $5,000 will actually be cut.

Some of the proposed cuts are from sections of the budget already spent because of time constraints, including the $2,228 budgeted for the purchase of parking passes for executive members, Shaw said.

Remaining cuts included almost $2,000 from the previous $7,142 marketing budget and another $2,000 cut from the budget for the spring speaker for Culture of Care.

Shaw said about $300 will also be cut from the “flyers” budget, the remaining $200 of which will be absorbed by the marketing budget.

Shaw said from here, Treasurer Casey Baker will make adjustments to the budget to allow for the IORC’s suggestions and will present the new budget at next week’s meeting for Congress’ approval.

“We took everything into account and heard everything they wanted, and we tried to give Congress as much as we could in the budget,” Baker said.

The amended budget will now provide funding for initiatives that Congress votes into action.

Shaw said funding such as this has never before been provided for congressional initiatives.

In the past, Congress would pass resolutions funded by preexisting budget items, Shaw said, adding that in the future initiatives will receive funding explicitly allocated in the budget.

This funding will allow for Congress members to vote on an initiative and immediately put it into action without worrying where funding will come from, Shaw said.

An amended version of the IUSA budget will be finalized by Congress Wednesday, Sept. 18.

Follow reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.