Tim Fucci
AS Beat Reporter
Legislative Council was presented with the 2011 Associated Students financial audit report, and the council discussed several legislative items supporting queer interests on campus in the Nov. 16 Leg Council meeting.
Associated Students of the University of California Santa Barbara took in $11,117,094 dollars in revenue and spent a total of $10,874,617 dollars in 2011, according to an independent accounting report done by Nasif Hicks Harris and Co.
The greatest source of income was generated by AS registration fees- about $9.5 million dollars in 2011. Yet, AS gained about $200,000 dollars more in registration fees in 2010. Auditors credited this to a slightly higher student enrollment.
Of the $10,874,617 dollars spent by AS in 2011, the most expensive budget entities included about $4 million dollars allocated for ‘university support’, which encompass lock-in fees for programs placed on AS election ballots, like Arts and Lectures and Club Sports. Staff salaries cost AS about $1.6 million dollars, and $1.2 million dollars were spent on student program support.
Overall, auditors shared positive remarks to AS and Leg Council over budgeting. They advised the council to continue support of student events and to be diligent of overhead costs concerning staff salaries.
In business matters, the Legislative Council recognized the resignation of Representative At-Large Sophia Armen. It was announced that interviews will be conducted to find a replacement for the vacant position.
Additionally, several bills were introduced to Leg Council for the betterment of queer peoples on the UCSB campus.
A bill seeking support in the implementation of gender-neutral restrooms on campus for the protection of non-normative or queer genders was discussed by the council.
The council also debated a bill to restructure the language of Queer Commission and a discussed adopting a resolution in support of continued HIV and AIDS awareness.