The Student Association president, finance secretary and possibly others have spent upwards of $3,000 of S.A. money on cafeteria meals, pizza and wings over the past two semesters, said a student who saw receipts and budget statements Monday.
Josh Hoxie, a sophomore S.A. senator, was allowed to see the Executive Board’s financial records in his effort to increase transparency in student government. What he saw surprised him.
Hoxie was shocked to see the large amount spent on meals. The S.A.’s own policy forbids clubs from using S.A. money for food unless an event is open to the entire campus.
S.A. President Steve O’Neil and Finance Secretary Jon Kaptcianos led Hoxie to a file cabinet containing a folder of the E-Board’s budget and receipts, including charges from the dining hall and local restaurants.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? What’s your opinion of how the E-Board spends your money? Send your thoughts to magazine@smcvt.edu or defender@smcvt.edu
TONIGHT: Meet the candidates for S.A. president and vice president at 8 p.m. in the Green Mountain Dining Room.
NEXT WEEK: An open forum to discuss government spending and a recent disputed S.A. amendment will be held during the S.A. meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7 in Cheray 101. |
“The top one on there was an expansion of the Sodexo swipe card asked for by Steve and approved by Jon,” Hoxie said. “It seems like that’s a self-approving thing. The only two signatures I saw were Steve and Jon’s.”
O’Neil and Kaptcianos declined several requests for an interview. However, they issued an e-mail statement saying, “All but a small portion of this money was used to purchase food from Sodexo to put snacks and drinks in the library and the 24 hour study space during finals week last semester.”
Throughout the spring semester, Defender and Echo editors have made numerous requests to review S.A. club expense reports, as provided for in the S.A Constitution. Each request has been denied.
S.A. adviser David Landers, visiting associate professor of psychology, said he does not see receipts or purchasing slips.
“There is no reason for it. We trust them,” he said, later adding, “I’ve never had any reason to question what they do.”
Director of Government and Community Relations, Marilyn Cormier, said she does not see or sign off on any expense reports, either.
“I believe the S.A. has the authority to do that themselves,” she said.
Referring to the concerns over the lack of transparency, Cormier said, “I am completely surprised by all of the stuff going on.”
O’Neil and Kaptcianos defended their dining hall spending to Hoxie, saying they bought the meals during their lunchtime office hours in Alliot Hall. Other meals were delivered to their townhouse. Hoxie reported seeing $2,800 in Sodexo charges, $100 for pizza and $70 for Wings Over Burlington. Hoxie also reported seeing $9,000 left in the E-Board discretionary fund with five weeks of school left.
E-Board spending is supposed to be overseen by the S.A. Finance Committee. Hoxie, a member of the committee, said the group has never met. Kaptcianos told him he decided not to hold any meetings. The S.A. Constitution says regular public meetings should be held. One of the committee’s duties is oversight of student spending, including that of the E-Board. With no oversight, these purchases went unquestioned.
Hoxie’s goal in requesting the information found in the cabinet was to open the door on student spending and hold the paid student government leaders responsible for their stewardship of a nearly half-million-dollar budget.
“I want more time with that filing cabinet,” Hoxie said.
CORRECTION: This story originally said that the E-Board members made purchases with their own college credit cards. All purchases mentioned were made with Grace Kelly's purchasing card.
UPDATE: For more on this story, read the follow-up story in the April 21 issue. |
