DSU posts $185,000 deficit

The Dalhousie Student Union (DSU) 2012-2013 budget anticipates a $185,000 deficit.

The budget revisions were approved at council on Nov. 21. Prior to the revisions, the DSU had only expected to post a $75,000 deficit on a $2.6 million budget.

The difference between the proposed budget and the revised was largely due to decreased revenue from food services.

In the 2011-2012 budget, money from food services accounted for nearly 12 per cent of DSU revenue, and the union ran a $35,500 surplus.

The DSU anticipated $140,000 from vendors such as Sodexo in the SUB in the original 2012-2013 budget. But the final revised budget lists only $1,253 in revenue for the year.

This September, the DSU switched food providers in the SUB from Sodexo to Chartwells.

Edgar Burns, VP (finance and operations), says that material explaining the budget will be made available to students.

The DSU has not posted an annual report since 2010.

The Gazette will have more on the budget in the new year. A photocopy of the document provided to the Gazette has been attached to this post.

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