The Rideau River Residence Association’s (RRRA) March 31 referendum to increase the association’s levy by $5 a semester, tied to inflation, passed with a voter turnout of four per cent.
This means the levy will increase from $60 to $70 next academic year. Ballot boxes were placed in every residence building, where voting took place all day March 31.
“We haven’t had a referendum in 15 years so there isn’t a normal voting period for that,” RRRA president Will Verschuren said.
The residence association executive has stated they need to recuperate lost profits from a new law banning the sale of tobacco products on university campuses.
This year, RRRA will be without the $20,000 in profits it would otherwise have made from selling tobacco at Abstentions, the convenience store in Residence Commons.
Though some have expressed concern over the low voter turnout, Verschuren said the referendum complied with all election rules.
“The way the system works is that if a referendum is passed, regardless of voter turnout, then that’s like a request from the association as a whole,” Verschuren said.
He said he has not heard anything from Carleton regarding the low turnout and expects the referendum to pass at the Board of Governors (BoG) without a problem.
The Board of Governors oversees the university and will vote on the implementation of the levy.
Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) president Folarin Odunayo, who also sits on the BoG and its financial review committee, said associations must present a fees letter to the committee when a referendum is passed by students.
“CUSA has to provide specific information to the board about the referendum process and voter turn out,” Odunayo said. “The board will have to ask RRRA the same questions.”
Odunayo added it is important RRRA provides this information to the board as every association on campus is held to a standard with financial matters.
Graham Pedregosa, the incoming president of RRRA and this year’s vice-president (administration) said the low voter turnout could be because students were unaware of the referendum.
“I don’t think people very much cared about an addition of $5, especially when it wasn’t for this year,” Verschuren said.
Students in residence this year will not be affected by the levy increase unless they choose to stay in residence next semester.
