After completing a Union charter mandated financial review of how the Student Activities Fee is distributed, the Union government held a forum last Tuesday. Representatives displayed the results of the review and presented the student body with a constitutional amendment that will change the structure of Union finances.According to a presentation by Union Treasurer Josh Brandfon '05, the Union Government seeks to "ensure compliance in reporting (and) help create forms for reporting ... that are available for public review."

According to presenters at the forum, Union government hopes that the proposed amendment will pass a two-thirds student body vote and come into effect around April 1. One of the changes proposed is making the name of the Allocations Board, the "Finance Board."

Union President Ben Brandzel '03 called the new system a "mixture of socialism and capitalism," because there is a public "money pool," and private enterprise is nonetheless encouraged. The changes, he said, are badly needed, because of "years of bad accounting ... to a deplorable degree."

The purpose of the forum, Brandzel said, was not only to direct public attention to the new changes. "This is only a first draft, (which) should in no way be regarded as etched in stone," he said.

He also said that he strongly encourages any kind of feedback from students and club leaders regarding the proposed changes.

One significant change that affects the student body at large is the addition of a professional accountant to manage bookkeeping for the Finance Board. The salary would be $40,000 per year. The Union Senate plans to propose a vote, open to all students, on how to pay this salary. One option is a budget cut "straight off the top," as Brandfon put it, meaning there would be $40,000 (or 5 percent) less each year for club money. The other option, nearly unanimously favored by those present at the forum, is to ask the university administration to add a $6 fee to the annual tuition of every student. Brandzel said this full-time professional would have "no policy authority," and that he or she would be fully "subservient to the Union government."

The amendment, if passed, will distribute 37.97 percent of total funds to chartered clubs: 35.74 percent to secured organizations (of which Student Events receives 62.86 percent, Archon 23.35 percent, BEMCo 8.79 percent and the Waltham Group 5 percent), 16.92 percent to the "Secured Major Media" (WBRS 53 percent, The Justice 35.95 percent, and BTV65 11.05 percent) and 9.37 percent to the "Union Government Fund" for its own administrative purposes.

The five Executive Board members opened the forum for discussion after Brandfon's presentation. During this question and answer period, some club leaders expressed concern that the tightened requirements for financial reporting, such as full public disclosure of all personal account statements relevant to club activity, might invade privacy and "punish clubs for (private) fundraising," as one club leader put it.

According to the amendment, clubs funded by the Union, such as secured and chartered organizations, will be held increasingly accountable for their finances. Every funded club will be expected to designate one of their members as their "financial liaison," who would be responsible for all financial oversight. Mandatory training workshops will be held twice every semester, and the financial liaison is required to attend at least one per semester.

The amendments further proposes to form a "Secured Organizations Board" with two voting representatives from each secured organization. This board is similar to the current "Secured Allocations Fund" board consisting of WBRS, the Justice, Archon, BTV65, Waltham Group and BeMCO. The board would be responsible for the distribution of allocated Union funds to secured organizations only.

Other representatives of the Union government present at the forum included Ari Kahan '03, Allocations Board Chair, Kate Vogel '03, Senator at Large and Executive Senator and Colin Rowan '04, Ziv Quad Senator. Attendance at the forum was limited mostly to club leaders. BEMCo was represented there, as well as Hillel and other clubs. Alwina Bennett, Assistant Dean of Student Life, was also in the audience.