Referendum up to Nov. 20 vote
McLean Bennett
Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: News
A referendum to approve a $20 increase in annual student fees to help fund campus environmental initiatives will come up for a campus-wide online vote from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 20.
Student Senate approved the referendum in a 27-1-1 vote Monday night after debating for nearly two hours and blocking an amendment that would have made the yearly fee refundable by students.
"This is to let the students decide," Senate Treasurer Michael Umhoefer, the bill's author, said. "It's just going to be allowing the students to make their own choice when it comes to raising the fees."
Where exactly the money for the account will come from is still uncertain, Senate President Tim Lauer said. The bill originally stated that the account would draw from student segregated fees, but Senate approved an amendment Monday to replace the words "Student Segregated Fees" to simply "Student Fees." Either way, students will increase their annual payments by $20 if the referendum passes.
If students approve the referendum, it will then have to be approved by the UW System Board of Regents. Umhoefer said last week he hopes to have Board approval by December, which could allow Senate to begin preparing the account as early as this spring.
Late Monday night, Sen. Brittany Smith introduced an amendment to allow students to seek refunds of semester payments, but the amendment was struck down 5-23-1 after senators decided it could create accounting problems and might undermine the bill's ability to provide consistent funding for projects.
"It feels to me that if a student is given the option to give, they're more willing than if they're told you have to give this amount of money," Smith said after the meeting, adding "there are students that are struggling to keep that money in their pocket anyway."
Senate also approved a bill by a 27-1-1 vote that would provide a $50,000 donation to the Hobbs Ice Arena renovation project. Senate previously approved a $250,000 donation last year and agreed to donate after the UW-Eau Claire Foundation requested additional funding.
The Foundation has agreed to match Senate's contributions, bringing combined donations to $600,000.
Senate's extra donation will raise student fees by $1.50 over the next four years, according to a copy of the project's payment plan.
Senate Finance Director Tom Holtan said that Senate's $300,000 donation will now only be final if the city council approves the renovation project.
Student Senate approved the referendum in a 27-1-1 vote Monday night after debating for nearly two hours and blocking an amendment that would have made the yearly fee refundable by students.
"This is to let the students decide," Senate Treasurer Michael Umhoefer, the bill's author, said. "It's just going to be allowing the students to make their own choice when it comes to raising the fees."
Where exactly the money for the account will come from is still uncertain, Senate President Tim Lauer said. The bill originally stated that the account would draw from student segregated fees, but Senate approved an amendment Monday to replace the words "Student Segregated Fees" to simply "Student Fees." Either way, students will increase their annual payments by $20 if the referendum passes.
If students approve the referendum, it will then have to be approved by the UW System Board of Regents. Umhoefer said last week he hopes to have Board approval by December, which could allow Senate to begin preparing the account as early as this spring.
Late Monday night, Sen. Brittany Smith introduced an amendment to allow students to seek refunds of semester payments, but the amendment was struck down 5-23-1 after senators decided it could create accounting problems and might undermine the bill's ability to provide consistent funding for projects.
"It feels to me that if a student is given the option to give, they're more willing than if they're told you have to give this amount of money," Smith said after the meeting, adding "there are students that are struggling to keep that money in their pocket anyway."
Senate also approved a bill by a 27-1-1 vote that would provide a $50,000 donation to the Hobbs Ice Arena renovation project. Senate previously approved a $250,000 donation last year and agreed to donate after the UW-Eau Claire Foundation requested additional funding.
The Foundation has agreed to match Senate's contributions, bringing combined donations to $600,000.
Senate's extra donation will raise student fees by $1.50 over the next four years, according to a copy of the project's payment plan.
Senate Finance Director Tom Holtan said that Senate's $300,000 donation will now only be final if the city council approves the renovation project.
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