The Reitz Union might get one more project tacked on to its construction to-do list.
While four other bills unanimously sailed onto a second reading at Tuesday night’s Student Senate meeting, one bill supplying funds for an improved campus veterans memorial simmered in the Senate chambers.
Senators Michael Filipelli and Joseph Michaels proposed an allocation of $20,000 of reserve Student Government funds to renovate the current Veteran Memorial at Liberty Pond. The updated memorial will include 11 granite monuments engraved with enough space for 1,200 names of UF attendees who have fallen as soldiers.
The whole project costs $84,509. The remaining cost is planned to be included within the Reitz Union construction project budget.
Although he was in favor of the project, Sen. Paul O’Quinn was concerned about pulling from the reserve funds and suggested saving the project until the next fiscal year.
“This is an expense that can be planned in advance,” he said. “I feel the reserve is an emergency fund.”
Sen. Elliot Grasso defended the proposal, explaining that pulling from the reserve funds would not hurt funds for student organizations.
“This is a great use of funds,” he said. “It’s something that every Gator can benefit from.”
A version of this story ran on page 5 on 9/18/2013 under the headline "Memorial could become part of Reitz makeover"
Sen. Paul O’Quinn voices his concern for pulling $20,000 from Student Government reserves to fund a campus veteran memorial. The memorial will go on to the second reading next week.
