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Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

MUSG addresses traffic safety, budget decrease

In the second to last Marquette Student Government meeting of the year, Milwaukee 4th District Alderman Robert Bauman addressed the Senate about traffic safety around campus. Additionally, the Senate voted to unanimously approve next year’s lowered budget.

Bauman addressed MUSG along with Clark Wantoch, Milwaukee Department of Public Works administration and transportation design manager. Both men emphasized that the city and Marquette have had an excellent working relationship in the past regarding construction projects.

Bauman discussed the possibilities regarding converting 16th, 17th and 18th Streets into two-way roads rather than the current one-way configurations. Wantoch said this would cause some problems regarding the flow of traffic on 17th, however, which would have to be cul-du-sacked, likely at Renee Street. Wantoch said this would lead to more congestion on 16th.

Bauman also asked for students’ help by reporting any sort of issues regarding traffic signs missing or similar problems around campus to the city, as they could not afford to have city employees search out these types of issues.

Following Bauman’s departure, Financial Vice President John Dunlap, a junior in the College of Business Administration, presented the reduced budget to the Senate. Dunlap said he felt the budget, which is decreased by $4,150 from last year’s, best reflects where students want to see their money spent next year.

Dunlap said the organization was able to cut down on administrative expenses such as staff salaries in order to accommodate the lowered revenue. The main factor causing MUSG to have lower revenue next year was the lack of a reserve fund allocation, which previous Senates had voted to receive over the past three years.

Dunlap also said the student activity fee of $30 per semester remains unchanged, as the budget committee had looked to work within what it had last year.

“There’s already enough fees associated with being a college student these days,” Dunlap said.

However, Derek Merton, programs vice president and junior in the College of Communication, presented one change to the budget within the meeting. He proposed that the expense previously known as the “Concerts” expense be renamed to “Major Events.”

This expense is the second largest of the program board at $54,000. The only larger expense for the board is for speakers, projected at $70,000.

Merton said the change will provide more flexibility to the commissions that work to plan these events and will attract other popular acts besides concerts.

He said MUSG will look for the best events given the size of the venues on campus.

This amendment and the budget both passed with votes of 23-0.

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