Finance Committee Meeting — Minutes (09/08/26)

SGA Finance Committee Meeting MinutesDate: Tuesday, September 8th, 2026, 5:45-6:45pmLocation: Shriver Board RoomPresentAbsentAmy XuKai MartinPeter TarpleyLuke HolmesOluwanifemi AjayiMamadou ThiamAarshi LamichhaneSrika PopuriOmotola AlaofinExcusedYash GuptaUnexcusedAgenda ItemsJHUMA Funding Bill Fall 2026 - Senator Mamadou ThiamUnanimously approved to send to 2nd reading with positive recommendationWhat to do with groups funds and reimbursementsReview Kranti and Undergraduate Debate Council budgetsApprove more annual allocationsAdditional allocation approvals will go through next week -AXAsk crystal about email about guidelines from last week, sort out SGA Finance inbox issueNot discussedApprove event grantsAll discussed events save for Maryland Student Legislature approvedMeeting Minutes:JHUMA Funding Bill Fall 2026 unanimously approved to send to 2nd reading with positive recommendation.Reimbursements are typically rejected outright. The exceptions made are for groups with events very early on in the annual allocations. These have all already been made. Approving access to groups’ own funds doesn’t require committee.Kranti has been approved for full registration costs. Costumes costs are cut as merch isn’t approved. They have requested $8920 for travel. Discussion is held over extent of funding given unclear planning for Spring semester.Debate costs include roughly $11900 in registration fees. The justification is that more tournament attendance is needed to retain membership. Debate is willing to cut out hotel funding and use only crash housing. Debate hosts two tournaments each year. Costs of hosting come primarily from food. Payments from hosting tournaments are usually delayed and are relatively low. JHU made a $5k overhead from Nationals last year with ~100 teams. A more typical tournament might bring in $2k (total $4k per year). Food costs are recommended to come through funding bill. $4200 in funding is suggested to be allocated by Treasurer (2x of original $2100). Funding bills are recommended to cover on-campus costs. $4200 approved.All other budgets are within caps or have been approved for small amounts over caps. Motion to pass reviewed budgets passes unanimously.Transfer Student Union’s event request is over cap on food. They are approved.KROSS has requested $196.43 for 40-50 attendees for tables and food. Maryland Student Legislature has set hotel costs at $333 per room for the 38th annual session. The hotel costs are required by urgency in acquiring proximate hotels. KROSS is approved.The Black Student Union event grants have standard budgets, but the BSU has requested $1212.47 over the $960 based on student numbers. $960 is approved. These events have been approved. The Maryland Student Legislature budget has not yet been approved.