Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1938 [PAGE 210]

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES MATTERS PRESENTED BY PRESIDENT WILLARD

[March 29

The Board considered the following matters presented by the President of the University.

THE BUDGET FOR 1 9 3 7 - 1 9 3 9 ( i ) O n March 17, 1937, the President of the Board, the Comptroller, and I attended a conference in the Governor's office in Springfield at which were also present or represented the constitutional and elected State officers, the heads of State administrative departments, and the Presidents of the Normal Schools. T h e Governor called this conference of the major State agencies to discuss in a preliminary way the problem of balancing the budget of Illinois for 1937-1939. Copies of the "Provisional State Budget" for 1937-1939 have previously been sent to the members of the Board of Trustees, at the request of the Governor. This Provisional Budget shows that the total of the appropriations requested in the budgets submitted to the State Department of Finance on or before November 1, 1936, as required by law, aggregate $239,684,288. This figure does not include a number of additional or supplementary appropriations, bills for which have already been introduced in the General Assembly, totaling $53,739,629. T h e estimated total income of the State for 1937-1939 is $220,800,000, so that the total deficit represented by the Provisional State Budget (excluding the $53,739,629 representing certain appropriations already before the General Assembly) is $18,884,288. T h e budget includes certain fixed charges (such as interest and principal payments which will be due on bond issues) during the biennium aggregating $144,000,000, which cannot be reduced. Consequently, the problem confronting the State is either to reduce the remaining total of approximately $95,000,000 in the Provisional Budget by approximately twenty per cent, or to find new sources of revenue. This deficit will be even larger if the supplementary items mentioned are added to the Provisional Budget. T h e Governor stated that subcommittees of the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations would meet with him to confer with the constitutional and elected officers and the heads of the administrative departments about their individual budgets. In the meantime, he has asked that each department or agency review its budget and make all reductions possible therein. This meeting of the Board has been called for that purpose. T h e conference with the Governor and the subcommittees of the Appropriations Committees of the General Assembly will be held on Tuesday, March 30.

Mr. Morey presented full data concerning the budget as prepared and presented to the State Department of Finance, and recommended that the Revolving Fund item be increased to $3,700,000, to include an estimated increase in receipts of the University from all sources, above the receipts as estimated in October, of $250,000. The Budget for 1937-1939 was fully discussed. On motion of Mr. Mayer, the amount of the Revolving Fund was increased by $250,000 as recommended.

APPROPRIATION FOR PRINTING A N N U A L REPORT O F DIRECTOR OF T H E AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION (2) A recommendation that an assignment of $1,000 be made from the General Reserve F u n d for the printing of the Annual Report of the Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station covering the year 1935-1936. T h i s is not a supplementary appropriation but represents a restoration of a balance which lapsed on August 31, 1936, the date on which unexpended balances lapse. It was impossible to complete the work of the publication of the report for which provision was made in the budget of the last fiscal year within that period.

On motion of Mrs. Plumb, this appropriation was made as recommended, by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Adams, Mr. Cleary, Mrs. Freeman, Mr. Karraker, Mr. Mayer, Mr. Moschel, Mrs. Plumb, Mr. Pogue; no, none; absent, Mr. Horner, Dr. Meyer, Mr. Wieland.