Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Bfl M fl* bb fif H fiy ? JRT 'tft EM <M ^b^g/ggggS& Volume LXIV. no. 46 University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. June 8, 1978 Budget inc] USC budget increased i By Jan Easterling Oamtcock Staff Wriffr The recommended USC appropriation was increased by the S.C. Senate Finance Committee for 1978-79 by $1.75 million last week, but the school still faces a $1.6 million deficit to be managed internally, according to a USC finance office spokesman. i ne 91.75 million increase came from a revised estimate of state revenues by the Governor's Board of Economic Advisors, which gave the legislature more money for state agencies, said Bernard A. Daetwyler, system vice president for finance and operations. "A 25 percent equipment cut which the university suffered will be restored by the House Ways and Means Committee in a 1977-78 supplemental appropriation bill," he said. Currently, the university appropriation, including all campuses, totals $70,341,221,. Daetwyler said. The senate finance version of the budget will be presented to the senate when it convenes June 14. THE 25 PERCENT equipment cut, along with a three percent cut in personal services, salaries, wages and fringe benefits, was eliminated from all state agency budgets by *** rease recom $1.75 million, still has , the House Ways and Means Committee in April. Bob Toomey, director of research for the committee, said personal services were cut three percent because of past position vacancies that caused extra salaries to lapse over, and remain unused. "This money they decided could be used elsewhere," he said. Concerning the 25 percent equipment cut, Toomey said, "Most agencies can withstand that 25 percent cut. The rationale is that you may delay purchases (of new equipment)." Tonmpv RfliH thp tntnl wininmmit lina-Uamo nil - ? ^ wv?M v^?u|f?i>VU|p uuv 1VVU0 AVI Oil statewide agencies is $13 million, less than one percent of the total state budget. The university's equipment cut totaled $723,480. The three percent personal service cut was restored on the house floor, "but it was a Ways and Means Committee amendment," Toomey said. DAETWYLER SAID the personal service cut would have meant the university would not have been able to fill vacancies, and in an emergency would have had to release some personnel. Joe Hungate, a finance committee aide, said the university was able to receive the additional $1.75 million because of revised state revenue estimates. "When the Board of Economic Advisors made the state estimates, there was a $70,000 surplus. The revision made last October added $9 million. On May 30, another revision brought the surplus total to $39,213,154," he said. TU? I4i_~ ? 1 IT .-i- ?!J * - a iic ixauiiuig surplus, nungaie saia, came in part trom higher tax revenues than were expected this year. Daetwyler said the minimum requested appropriation presented by the university to the State Budget and Control Board totaled $70,881,907. However, Dick Hutto of the Budget and Control Board said the board recommended $65,687,887 for the university to the legislature. "The budget according to the Commission of Higher Education's formula shows how much is needed by the university. Hie fjBp% " gB^SkS^^MK:::l ': 11% - ' fl E?B9H ?B B: . Bj^gHwj HnSI - iii$' ^iMHHMBtt^' mended $1.6 million deficit other budget, a line-item one, shows what the money will .be spent for/' he said. a* a - -* - ? nc. uci an eswnaiea siate revenue from the Governor's Board of Economic Advisors. They allocate to various major functions of the state, such as education, penal institutions and regulatory agencies/' Hut to said money from the board is allocated according to statewide priorities. "If the health education area is bad, more emphasis will be put there. That's the just way to do it." Hutto called this a "slice of the pie." The university's slice would be allotted according to the line item budget, he said. The university appropriation was increased to $67,040,409 by the House Ways and Means Committee. "We told the House Ways and Means Committee that the Budget and Control Board recommendation was $5.2 million short of what our minimum request was, but that we would like to have more than our minimum request," USC President James B. Holderman said. The three percent personal services cut was restored on the house floor, and the university appropriation was increased and went to the Senate Finance Committee at $68,591,221. "WE ARE VERY pleased with the recommendation com ins? out of tlw* Spnoto ssno??M? . 1?l ? w niwiuvv wuiuium, UUl WC recognize that we will still have some tough internal management problems/' Holderman said. "If you take everything we're doing right now at the university and continue it for another year, we will be running $1.6 million short at the end of the year, so we're going to have to cutback in some areas to accommodate that deficit/' he said, but added he did not know what areas would incur cutbacks. . "We are optimistic that we will get what the Senate Finance Committee has recommended/' Holderman said. "S"-' ' W\s3SK VK-X-Oy. > I 'lilt ^ ilijl^ - - ? 7^<- ^^^fSc?at