More than half of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona Appropriations Board resigned last night, citing changes in ASUA bylaws that limited the authority of Appropriations Board decisions.
Four out of seven Appropriations Board members gave notice of their resignation, along with three other members of ASUA.
Jaharri Asten, an Appropriations Board director, Tomas Connor, chief of staff to the ASUA executive vice president, Andy Keyt, an ASUA club advocate, Erik Lind, an Appropriations Board director, Blake Rebling, vice chairman of the Appropriations Board, David Schexnayder, communications director and senate recorder, and Joseph Chadwick, an Appropriations Board director, announced their resignation in a memo last night sent to ASUA.
The resignations follow a recently amended ASUA bylaw that allows the senate the final say on the distribution of Appropriations Board funds, said ASUA President Erin Hertzog. The change to the bylaw was the result of recent ASUA Senate rulings that overturned Appropriations Board decisions, causing delays in club funding.
“”The main problem was that as there were (discrepancies) each month and clubs were having to wait weeks to get approval for funding,”” Hertzog said. “”This (amendment) wasn’t doing anything unheard of, it was simply a means to get clubs the amounts they needed faster.””
Despite the senate’s justification of the changed bylaw, the Appropriations Board viewed the decision as a step that limited the authority of their decisions, Rebling said.
“”We have just become dueling organizations now,”” Rebling said. “”The Appropriations Board has now just become a ‘screening board’ because the senate makes the final call.””
Appropriations Board members also cited the controversy regarding the treatment of former Executive Vice President David Reece, which led to his resignation last month.
“”David was becoming the black sheep of the senate for no reason, and his actions were legal by the actions of our bylaws,”” Connor said. “”We were just getting really tired of the way club funding was dealt with.””
Rhonda Tubbs, who was recently appointed as an interim executive vice president after Reece’s resignation, will begin the search to fill the vacant positions on the Appropriations Board.
“”I am disappointed that they had to resign and that they are copping out at the end and causing a freeze on club funding,”” Tubbs said. “”We are going to stay optimistic and begin the application process.””
Applications will be distributed throughout campus today via club listservs and will reach a variety of students, said Appropriations Board member and ASUA Sen. Shawn Ingram.
“”I think that when the senate decided to castrate any power the Appropriations Board had, they had this coming,”” Ingram said. “”It’s really frustrating, and I think a lot of the directors who resigned were tired of having their opinions politically whitewashed.””
Applications will be distributed via e-mail today and are due by Friday to the ASUA Office in the Student Union Memorial Center, Room 325.
Interviews to fill the position will begin Friday at 12:30 p.m.
