The mass transit executive director lost a battle to give himself veto power over his board.

After about 45 minutes of debate, the Student Association Mass Transit Board decided in a 4-2 vote that giving the executive director veto power would be too dangerous.

Executive Director Todd Allen said veto power would allow his position to be more “fiscally responsible.”

“There are a lot of things that I do during the week that you guys (board members) do not do,” Allen said. “The idea of veto power is not as powerful as you think. It is basically a check.”

The veto power would have allowed the executive director to reject any policy approved by the mass transit board. The board would have been able to override the veto with a two-thirds vote.

Allen said the idea came from “a series of events” including the board approval of about $200 worth of jackets for the Late Nite Ride Service.

He said he was “utterly incapable” of supporting something like the jackets without having a say. Allen does not have a vote on the board.

“I am just talking about a little bit more input to keep the flow of democracy,” Allen said.

But board member Henry Treftz said Allen should not have that input because the executive director’s job is to do what the board wants.

“I know that is kind of a cruel way to put it, as Todd (Allen) as our servant, but that is the way the SA Constitution has set things up,” Treftz said.

“The whole concept of a veto is wrong. Vetoes are for government. I don’t see that as the role of the director,” he said.

But board member Mary Heather Hannah said she saw no problems with vetoing.

“It is kind of silly to have that much concern over this if we ll vote the same anyway,” Hannah said referring the board’s tendency to “rubber stamp” policies.

Even though Allen disagreed with the board’s decision, he said “there is not animosity between myself and the board.”