While the on-campus student tax increase proposed by the Residence Halls Association is minimal, the organization should make efforts to use the money wisely.
RHA voted in favor of an increase of $3 in student taxes for the 2001-02 academic year. The tax increase will go to a referendum in a few weeks and will not take effect unless students vote in favor of it.
The increase would bring in an estimated $48,000 more to RHA per semester.
Only students who live in one of MSU’s 23 undergraduate residence halls pay the RHA tax. The tax is currently $18 per semester in addition to a $13 undergraduate student government tax, a $4 State News tax and a $3 FM radio station tax paid by all students.
Five of the 18 tax dollars go directly back to individual halls.
An increase of $3 per semester is not a large amount by any estimation. This small increase will not make or break a student’s budget. RHA provides services to residence hall students that are well worth the money. The opportunity to see fairly new movies for free on Channel 12 and to rent movies for free in your own hall is well worth a few extra dollars a semester.
This proposed increase comes after RHA overspent its spring 2000 budget by nearly $30,000. Officials cited bookkeeping mistakes for the overspending.
RHA borrowed $24,100 from individual residence halls to pay student organizations who were waiting for past due funds. Although the organization’s constitution allows it to take money back from the halls without repayment, RHA officials treated the money as a loan.
RHA switched back to its original movie distributor that provides movies for Channel 12 this semester. The organization switched to a new company for the fall 2000 semester that provided fewer movies at a smaller price, but many students expressed concerns with the new service.
The association’s general assembly voted to give its executive board a $1-an-hour raise in Fall 1999.
While RHA may be looking to make improvements to its student services, it seems suspect that this proposed increase comes so soon after it made changes and overspent its budget. The association should strive to provide services students want at the quality they demand, but should make it a priority to watch where the money is going.
This increase should also encourage the association to provide more services to students. RHA should encourage individual halls to provide more activities for students and allocate funds to a variety of events.
The proposed RHA tax increase is not too much to ask of students for the services provided. However, RHA should make an effort to carefully track the money it takes in and how it allocates and spends it. If funds are mishandled, the association could lose credibility and trust from students.
Residence hall students have the right to be offered quality services and with the proposed increase, RHA should provide them.
