The UF Student Senate has another budget to approve.
Four weeks after the Senate chambers approved the more than $20 million 2015-2016 Activity and Service Fee Budget, the Budget and Appropriations Committee has already finished its proposal for the 2016-2017 budget, which was presented at Tuesday’s Senate meeting.
The nine-person committee, led by Chairman Smith Meyers, and Student Body Treasurer Nicholas Carre held meetings with the “Big 4” organizations — Student Government, Rec Sports, the Reitz Union and Student Activities and Involvement — over the past month.
The budget as outlined is worth slightly more than $20.7 million. This represents a 3.33 percent increase from the 2015-2016 budget, which is less than the 4.25 percent maximum increase the committee was allotted.
Because the money for the budget comes directly from students, Meyers said the goal going into the meetings was finding the right balance between offering quality services for UF students while also not making the burden of paying for education too much for students to handle.
“I think this budget is the best manifestation of that vision,” Meyers said.
The budget is approximately broken down as follows:
Student Government: $5.4 million, a 0.08 percent decrease from the 2015-2016 budget.
Recreational Sports: $6.9 million, a 4.25 percent increase.
Reitz Union: $7 million, a 4.25 percent increase.
Student Activities and Involvement: $1.4 million, an 8.18 percent increase.
First reading of the budget will be heard at next Tuesday’s meeting following the second reading of the seven sets of Student Body Statute reforms.
Meyers said it was great working with Carre to create the budget.
“Once again, similar to the ‘15-‘16 amended (budget), it was an excellent example of the different branches of Student Government working together to create a budget that benefits the students and does so in a fiscally responsible manner,” Meyers said.
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 7/23/15]
