A proposed $2-per-semester student tax increase likely will be voted on tonight at ASMSU’s joint Student Assembly and Academic Assembly meeting.
All students can attend the undergraduate student government meeting to voice concerns at 6:30 p.m. in the Union Ballroom. The undergraduate student tax currently sits at $13 per semester. If the increase is approved, it will appear on a university-wide ballot later this year.
Matt Weingarden, Student Assembly vice chairperson of internal affairs, said he is in favor of the tax increase.
“If we don’t have an increase, we won’t be able to sustain the type of work we have been doing,” Weingarden said.
Academic Assembly Chairperson Matt Clayson said his assembly might pass the tax increase, depending on how much information is offered at the meeting and how it is presented.
Student Assembly Chairperson Quinn Wright said a tax increase will depend on student voices outside of the organization.
“I hope to draw attention to the student body to get their input and see what they would like to happen,” he said.
Three years ago, the organization increased its student tax from $10 to $13 per semester. The Red Cedar Log, MSU’s yearbook, uses $3 of the organization’s total tax for publication. The remaining $10 is distributed to other ASMSU divisions.
The organization’s $10 base tax has not been increased in six years.
Last year, ASMSU’s Funding Board was allocated $87,650 plus an additional $20,000 from Special Projects - an account usually used for internal expenses and proposed projects. This year, the board’s allocation was less at $78,650 plus an additional $9,000 from the special account. Programming Board and Special Projects also had budget cuts.
Cole Young, ASMSU’s comptroller, the finance record keeper, has been preparing projected budgets for a $2, $3 and $4 student tax increase.
Young said Wednesday a $15 tax would be a sufficient increase, but he had not finished the budgets for a $16 and $17 tax. A $2 increase would inject about $70,000 into the budget.
“If we had a slight tax increase and more money, as a result we could give more money to the business office, Student Legal Services and Freshman Class Council,” Young said.
Last year Freshman Class Council was allocated about $2,500 to host events. But this year, the council received $500.
Young said more money should also be budgeted to Student Legal Services, the business office and staff salaries.
He said the business office, which supplies the organization with office supplies, is “strapped” for money. The office budget started off the academic year with $6,609 and is left with $271 for the second semester.
“We’ve been ripping off students because we need money to buy things like computers instead of giving it to students,” he said.
ASMSU’s Chief of Staff Ashley Grieve will be chairperson of today’s meeting.
“We haven’t had a tax increase in a while,” Grieve said. “Inflation rates have caused the prices of services to rise, but we have not increased the amount of money we pay for services.”
