USG drafts funding bill to finalize budget


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the screen of the USG meeting
When programming department changes were introduced, senator Brandon Tavakoli protested the $542,000 allocated to the Concerts Committee because the sum amounts to 22% of USG’s $2.5 million budget. (Mateo Villalba-Mutis | Daily Trojan)

In the first summer senate meeting of the Undergraduate Student Government, senators debated the size of funding allocations for several registered student organizations, primarily the Concerts Committee. Senators will finalize the budget next week. 

USG also confirmed the appointment of advocacy liaisons that would work with all of the cultural organizations at the University.

Chief financial officer Khalil Daniels addressed the changes that the allocations committee made after meeting with 18 programming assemblies and deliberations over 60 line items. The allocations committee made minor cuts and adjustments to funding across all USG branches.

When programming department changes were introduced, senator Brandon Tavakoli protested the $542,000 allocated to the Concerts Committee because the sum amounts to 22% of USG’s $2.5 million budget. The previous year’s allocation was $574,300. Even with the current 5.5% funding cut, it’s “unjustifiably high,” he said.

“My main concern is that we’re legitimizing and justifying expenditures that are exorbitantly too high [and] could be better served in other places,” Tavakoli said during the Senate meeting. “We [could] give it directly to our RSOs and to ledge funding where we as senators are able to use that funding for our own passion projects.”

Speaker of the senate Emilia Bletsas countered Tavakoli’s concern — setting up concerts is a costly affair, Bletsas said. There are several non-negotiables such as the cost of security, she said, that must be included in the Concert Committee’s spending to ensure attendees’ safety and hold quality events. 

Debate soon shifted to how the Concerts Committee can better spend its funding. Senator Julianna Melendez said that since a lot of the funding goes to hiring headliners, many of whom she said are often niche, the committee can redirect its funding to grab well-known headliners and fill the rest of the slots with student performers.

“We have such amazing performing arts students on campus … I think we’re really missing out on that talent,” Melendez said.

The Concerts Committee did not respond to the Daily Trojan’s request in time for publication.

Students interested in voicing their concerns regarding the budget can attend the next senate meeting virtually Wednesday at 7 p.m.