The SGA senate voted Thursday to approve the salaries of eight elected officials and 10 appointed members of the executive council, including the salaries of two new appointed positions to President James Fowler’s staff.
With the approval, the salaries of the top six elected officials in the SGA remained the same as last year’s salaries. Overall, only three appointed officials’ salaries changed, and all three changes were reductions.
President James Fowler’s salary remained the same as former President Steven Oliver’s at $250 per month for 12 months. In all, Fowler’s pay will stand at $3,000 for the school year. All six vice presidents will keep their salaries at $200 per month.
The senate approved the executive’s plan to lower the salary of the treasurer from $150 per month to $100 per month, the attorney general’s salary from $75 per month to $50 per month, and the executive secretary’s from $200 per month to $175 per month.
Fowler also completed the addition of two new positions to his staff with the vote of approval of salaries.
New Director of Engagement Stanley Phillips’ job is “a crucial part of what we’re doing, with communicating with students,” Fowler explained after the vote. Phillips will make $50 per month.
“We want to integrate that into the office,” he said. “That whole department goes and they’re engaging student organizations every month, with a team partnering with senators. We want it to become something that’s permanent, so that we can continue this engagement and make a huge difference.”
The officer filling the other new position, chief implementation officer, Jesse Blount, will also make $50 per month. Fowler says the office will help the SGA run more efficiently.
“We felt like putting them on salary… will make this a permanent change for the betterment of all students,” Fowler said.
Earlier in Thursday’s meeting, the senate voted in favor of all resolutions proposed this week, in addition to all but one of those proposed last week. Approved resolutions included encouragement for student participation in “Hands On Tuscaloosa,” a day of service for in the Tuscaloosa community put on by the SGA.
The only tabled resolution was freshman Senator Ryan Flamerich’s proposal to support the creation of a Before Bama Mail, a program to propose a brief survey to match freshmen with groups on campus.
“This is a great way to connect student organization to student, even before they get on campus,” Flamerich said.
The committee responsible for tabling the resolution explained that they were not sure of the scope of the resolution.
“I don’t think the resolution should have been tabled tonight because it is already near completion,” Flamerich said. “It was my miscommunication with the committee regarding the completion of the resolution that caused it to be tabled.”
Flamerich said he hopes the resolution will pass over the summer session in June, and that an affirmative vote then will allow him to move forward on the project.
