The Undergraduate Senate will debate a constitutional amendment this Sunday that would make the comptroller and secretary appointed, as opposed to elected, positions.
Since the establishment of the new Student Government five years ago, each of the executive positions have been elected by the student body. The amendment would allow the SG president to appoint the comptroller and secretary. How much oversight the Senate would have over the appointments would be determined after the amendment was passed.
A two-thirds majority of senators will be necessary for the amendment to pass. If it passes, the amendment will be placed on the ballot for this fall’s Senate elections, held from 9 a.m. Sept. 29 to 5 p.m. Sept. 30. A two-thirds majority of votes would be necessary to pass the amendment, according to the SG Constitution.
The proposed amendment comes directly on the heels of a recent controversy regarding former Comptroller Matt Handverger. It had been alleged that Handverger had been incompetent and negligent in his job. There were three nights of impeachment proceedings before Alves dropped the charges. Handverger resigned one week later on Thursday, Sept. 10.
Sen. Jared Alves, who proposed this amendment, was also the senator who had brought the charges against Handverger.
In the amendment, Alves said that it is important that the comptroller and secretary have strong backgrounds in their respective fields.
The amendment specifically addresses some shortcomings that Handverger was alleged to have.
“To have a successful Comptroller it is imperative that he/she has a background in fiduciary affairs,” the amendment states. “To have a successful Secretary it is imperative that he/she has some sort of background in communications and/or marketing.”
SG President Andy MacCracken guardedly supported the arguments in favor of having the comptroller and secretary positions appointed by the president.
“I do think that there are a lot of benefits from making the positions appointed,” he said. “There are certain skill sets that you need ... In [these positions’] nature, it makes more sense for them to be appointed.”
Secretary Colin Meiselman, who was elected last year, said that a change could attract a larger pool of more qualified candidates.
“I think it might get more people interested in the job. I think that we might be able to attract more communication students, more marketing students, business/finance students,” he said.
Alves introduced the amendment after the Thursday, 5 p.m. deadline set by Speaker of the Senate Anthony Dunham. Dunham typically would not allow any motions placed after this deadline to be heard at the following Senate meeting. Alves introduced the amendment during the meeting and another senator motioned to overturn Dunham’s order. The Committee on Rules and Privileges, which has the power to overturn the speaker’s decision, voted 2-1 to allow the Senate to consider the amendment.
If the committee had not overturned Dunham’s decision, the amendment would not have been able to be placed on the upcoming ballot.
Under the SG Constitution, campus media must be notified 14 days prior to the referendum. If the amendment had been deferred to Sunday, Sept. 20, it would have not have met the necessary two week term.
Class of 2010 Sen. Steve Dalton, a member of the Committee on Rules and Privileges, voted in favor of allowing the Senate to hear the amendment.
“I have to hear how [Alves] presents it on Sunday. I do have some concerns about it because I think it gives the president a great deal of authority,” Dalton said. “[But] if I voted no, it would have died right there and I think that it should be able to go to the full senate to allow a full debate on it.”
Eagle Staff Writer Julia Ryan contributed to this report.
You can reach this staff writer at cszold@theeagleonline.com.
