The Student Association released its proposed fiscal year 2004 budget at Monday’s budget meeting.

In its budget, the SA has requested more than $294,000 – a 90 percent increase of the funds allocated for the fiscal ’03 school year. The SA was allocated more than $154,000 for this year.

SA Treasurer Shaun Crisler explained the reason for the significant increase.

The SA had actually spent more than they have been allocated in the past, Crisler said. An analysis of the past four years showed that the SA averaged $148,000 in allocations, but on average, actual expenditures reached $200,000.

Thus, Crisler said, this would create more than a $50,000 deficit.

Crisler said he created the proposed budget in order to avoid going into deficit next year. Now, organizations do not receive funds from the student fees general reserve if they go into deficit.

In this new budget, Crisler has accounted for every possible expenditure, down to the materials management, which includes how many boxes of rubber bands and rolls of masking tape they will use.

Compensating for this expected deficit would explain part of the increase, but not the entire requested sum. Crisler said the additional $94,000 would go toward new SA programs and expenditures.

Crisler suggested that SA-recognized organizations should do the same to avoid going into deficit.

Several paid SA positions are receiving increased allocations, accounting for some of the inflation.

The funds allocated for the positions of SA president, vice president and treasurer for the ’04 year is raising from $19,320 to $24,000, about a 24 percent increase.

In addition, funding requested for the 11 SA director positions is increasing from $40,800 to $78,650, a 92 percent increase.