Both the Student Recreation Center and the University Board presented their prospective budgets for next year to the Apportionment Board on Thursday.

Participation has increased as a result of the new recreation center cycles, which have attracted 2,325 students, or 16 percent of the student population.

Ken Baker, director of campus recreation, said the recreation center is on track to set a new participation record.

Baker requested a budget of $220,000, a decrease of 2.7 percent from last year’s budget, to cover student payroll, repairs, supplies and equipment expenses for fiscal year 2011.

Baker said the request reflects sensitivity to the university’s financial crunch aggravated by the absence of project money funds upwards of $30,000.

“This budget has decreased, but it’s not that the need’s not there,” Baker said. “It’s that all of us are going to have to settle for a little less. We’ve only received about $8,000 from the state of Illinois out of $18,000. Whenever handling money is involved with the state of Illinois, it’s a big question mark.”

Baker said the decrease is a result of budgeting for four service call days as opposed to five, where the recreational machines at the center undergo routine maintenance while the student body is off campus.

The only revisions in the budget include a $5,000 increase to payroll, totaling the line item to $150,000, as well as $6,000 to purchase 58 new lockers.

“Sometimes it’s pretty hard to find one when the place is packed,” Baker said.

“When one out of every four people you pass on campus goes through the rec center, it gets busy.”

The AB will decide on this budget along with three others on March 25, including their own budget, student government and that of the University Board.

The UB requested $50,045 to support the various facets of the organization, including Homecoming, comedy and special events.

This amount has decreased $2,522 from this year’s budget of $52,567.

Organizers presented an expected decrease of $4,280 for next year’s homecoming budget by seeking co-sponsorships from different businesses.

The requested amount is $13,820, down from $18,100.

The largely successful sale of Spirit Week T-shirts also provided extra funds.

The special events aspect of the UB requested a $5,085 increase to expand on the “Up All Night Program” hosted in August. In previous years, it was not uncommon for the UB to organize four of these events, but previous budget cuts have made this impossible.

This amounts to $39,235, as opposed to last year’s allocation of $34,150.

The comedy portion requested a $700 increase to $20,730 to provide different modes of entertainment, including a comedic magician.

Erica Whelan can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected]