By Zac Estrada, News Staff

Last Monday Northeastern senators passed next year’s Student Government Association (SGA) budget, devoting a sizable portion to senate retreat costs and gives a boost for president and executive board stipends.

SGA President Ryan Fox promoted the 2011-12 budget as the continuation of slimming costs and being more efficient.

“We really went through things with a fine-toothed comb,” Fox told The News Wednesday. “We definitely analyzed and over-analyzed. But it’s a hundred here, a hundred there.”

Payroll for SGA president and executive board members will increase. The president will receive a $7,000 stipend next year, and all executive board positions will earn $5,000. Direct elections committee chair will get $750, and parliamentarian $250.

At the first senate presentation of the budget March 21, Fox said the revised stipends are more in line with the work the executive board members do.

“People are still working at the same [pay] level,” Fox said, “but we’re getting a lot more done.”

More than $8,000 of the budget is going to fund senate retreats, something Fox said he and the senate worked to cut costs on by negotiating with venue owners.

Fox said the senate looked at organizations such as the Resident Student Association (RSA), which he says pays more than $31,000 for retreats and conferences.

SGA Chief of Staff Mike Splain told the senate Monday that the retreats were necessary.

“The price is a lot but Ryan did a lot of work to cut that back, and the facilitator would be the biggest chunk of that,” Splain said. He said the amount spent on retreats was the biggest point of discussion for senate members.