The Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) has postponed the presentation of its 2019-20 operating budget, breaking its own bylaws in the process.
Originally set to be presented to RRRA council Dec. 8, this year’s RRRA budget cannot be passed because the 2018-19 budget is still being audited, according to RRRA president Douglas Cochrane.
“We’re supposed to meet once more [with auditors],” Cochrane said. “It’s obviously frustrating when the goal from day one was to have this done in the summer.”
Until the RRRA budget is passed, the only money available for RRRA to use is a surplus amount leftover from last year previously approved by 2018-19 RRRA council and Abstentions’ profits, according to Cochrane.
“We present [to council], what have you, whether it be things that we want to do right now, the only thing that we’re really spending money on is Abstentions with our suppliers,” Cochrane said. “It is being presented through the council. . . it’s not that there’s no, like, accountability.”
The debacle over the budget’s presentation comes in the wake of Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) amending its budget bylaw after the Charlatan reported the presentation of the organization’s 2019-20 operating budget occurred over a month later than mandated.
The financial audit is important as it holds RRRA accountable as a not-for-profit organization by reviewing how money was spent, the inventory of RRRA-run convenience store Abstentions, making sure minutes and meetings have been properly recorded, and the constitution is being followed, said Cochrane.
“It is being presented through the council. . . it’s not that there’s no, like, accountability.” —Douglas Cochrane, RRRA president
Jacob Howell, 2018-19 RRRA president and current CUSA vice-president (finance), was responsible for both RRRA’s late budget last year and CUSA’s late budget this year.
When asked why last year’s budget was presented later than RRRA bylaws mandate, which states the budget must be presented “no later than the second council meeting of the first academic term,” Howell said he did not think the budget was presented late last year.
“I’m pretty sure the budget last year was presented before January if I’m not mistaken,” he said. “It’s just hard to remember which year was what.”
Last year’s budget was actually presented Jan. 10. Howell responded accuracy is more important than timelines.
“I think the accuracy and the promotion of the numbers is definitely what students are looking for and personally I know that’s where I put a great deal of my focus just because I’d rather do something right once,” he continued. “Measure once and cut twice kind of thing.”
Cochrane agreed accurate budgets are essential, but every effort should be made to meet deadlines to uphold organizational constitutions.
“Financials isn’t something that can be rushed so we want it done in the most proper way,” Cochrane said. “It obviously can be frustrating when it’s not presented as soon as we’d like and that’s obviously a precedent that we don’t want to set.”
Howell also said there are many reasons the audit could still be ongoing that are “not necessarily significant,” including small mistakes with RRRA-run convenience store Abstentions’ inventory and a newly-hired accountant.
“I do know as well that the accountant at RRRA was hired fairly new like last year so she may not have a grasp on the association and that just comes with doing more than one audit,” he said.
When asked whether there are any repercussions for violating bylaws, Cochrane said accountability measures are largely internal.
“We try to be as transparent as possible.” —Jacob Howell, CUSA vice-president (finance) and former RRRA president
“There’s guidelines within the constitution that kind of come from RRRA council, so whether it be impeachment or what have you, those things are voted on in an unbiased fashion,” he said.
“That’s where the problem kind of lies, I’d say, is because it is internal,” Cochrane added.
In light of recent student union scandals such as Ryerson’s student union president racking up thousands of dollars worth of unapproved charges, Howell said he could see how students may associate later budget presentations with a lack of transparency.
“Obviously, some people may feel like it’s not super transparent. And in those situations, it’s just a lot of like, what can we do better to make it feel more transparent to you, and then just like trying to accommodate them for that,” Howell said. “We try to be as transparent as possible.”
Howell added CUSA has a financial review committee and actively tries to engage and present its actions to students in order to generate trust with their financial decisions.
RRRA won’t follow in CUSA’s footsteps and amend its budget presentation bylaw, Cochrane said.
“That’s something that we talked about as well, but we also didn’t want to just go and change the constitution for the sake of changing the constitution,” Cochrane said. “As far as the budget presentation goes, that probably won’t change.”
“A constitution for any organization is important and it’s vital to the existence of it and I’d say with the Student Choice Initiative. . . I understand why they did have to change the constitution in that regard,” Cochrane said. “At the same time, I think it’s, not alarming, but you want to follow the constitution as much as you can without having to make those changes necessary.
“So while I see and I understand why they did that, I just hope it doesn’t become a regular thing.”
RRRA’s budget is set to be presented at the next council meeting, though there is no set date.
Featured image from file.
