SG holds emergency meeting to discuss purchase of more UCF tickets

Student Government held an emergency meeting of its Budget Committee Monday night to discuss moving more funds to a separate account responsible for subsidizing the cost of 750 more tickets to USF’s game at UCF after numerous students were left standing in the cold.

SG planned on selling only 500 tickets to students starting Monday afternoon, but due to an overwhelming turnout and a shortage of tickets, it was forced to feverishly work throughout the afternoon putting together a plan to buy more from the UCF athletic department. The new plan would allow SG to receive 750 more tickets while having the USF athletic department pay the cost.

In turn, SG would repay the athletic department by moving funds from their executive payroll account to a separate one. The total cost owed by SG would amount to $9,000. To reimburse its payroll, the executive branch would then have to put in a formal request to the senate to move more funding back to the payroll account. If senate denies its request, the executive payroll would be in a deficit of the monies spent. In the event that tickets do not sell out, SG would still be responsible for the total cost.

According to Ticketmaster.com, regularly priced tickets cost between $24 and $30. SG has financed a way for students to only pay $5 per ticket.

Problems arose when it was brought to the senate’s attention that SG Administrative Services requires a minimum of 10 business days to approve any decisions. However, in instances such as this, the Budgeting Committee has power to approve the moving of funds. Thomas King, comptroller for SG, spoke at the meeting about the risks involved with approving such a large sum of money to come out of the payroll account.

“It’s my job to let you all know that this could be fiscally irresponsible,” King said. “Not being able to predict the success of selling 500 tickets … does not constitute putting something together at the last minute. This very meeting as an emergency shows me that you are willing to make anybody bend over backwards to get what they (the executive branch) want.”

King based his recommendation on reports of overspending from the previous presidential term as well as reports from the first months of the current presidential term.

Even with the negative feedback, the Budget Committee voted to fund the project by the count of six to one.

Tickets will go on sale at 1 p.m. at the Phyllis P. Marshall Center info desk. Any student wishing to purchase tickets must have a valid University ID number.