The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 28, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 26, 1985 Page: 1 of 12
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Whitmire, Greanias reach agreement on user fee study
by David Friesenhahn
A dispute between Houston City
Councilman George Greanias and
Mayor Kathy Whitmire over the
implementation of a cost-cutting
program was resolved Wednesday
when the council agreed in
principle that the city should use
an outside consultant to assist with
annual reviews of the city's fee and
cost allocation structures.
The council voted to hire the
firm of David M. Griffith and
Associates to conduct a study of
the city's cost allocation for
administering federally-funded
programs.
The firm would develop
software for the task similar to that
used in previous study of the city's
user fees.
During the council's session two
weeks ago, Greanias chided the
Administration for failing to carry
out the provisions of a plan
approved by the council whereby
the city Finance and Administra-
tion Department would conduct
annual reviews of the city's user
fees.
The department was supposed
to use the software created by the
consultant for this purpose.
At the same meeting, Whitmire
said it was unclear whether the
council had intended the city to use
the software to conduct a
systematic review of the fees every
year or if the Griffith study was for
one year only.
She also contended that such a
review, if desired, could be done on
a piecemeal basis, as part of the
normal budget preparation
process.
However, Greanias pointed out
Wednesday that city council
resolution 84-12 states that the
Finance and Administration
Department must conduct a
complete study before it begins
preparing the budget for the
upcoming fiscal year and that it
provides a specific methodology
for doing so.
Officials in Finance and
Administration have indicated
that their department does not
have the resources to conduct a fee
study according to the wishes of
the council.
The department currently has
no personnel assigned to the job.
In a memorandum sent to
members of the council, the
department said that the city has
three options it can pursue to
remedy the situation. It can
allocate more resources towards
conducting a study completely
within the department, it can hire a
consulting firm to serve as a
manager for projects done in part
by the city, or it can contract entire
responsibility for the study to an
outside agent.
Because of the Finanoe and
Administration Department's past
failure to implement the edicts of
the council, Greanias leaned
towards hiring an outsider to
evaluate the city's fees.
"I have no sense of security that
the city, if left to its own devices
next year, will be able to
accomplish a cost allocation
review in a timely fashion to come
forward with the budget as
Council mandated in that
resolution," he said.
. He proposed that the city use a
consultant to manage a study of
the city's fee structure and cost
allocation procedures for fiscal
year 1987. The Finance and
Administration Department
would supply data for the analysis.
Whitmire concurred, calling the
use of a consultant the "most
expedient" course the city could
follow given the constraints of on
time and resources.
The city will try to negotiate
such an arrangement in future
contracts with consultants.
Since the city has already begun
preparing the budget for next year
and lacks the the manpower to
perform a study at the same time, it
cannot complete an analysis of
user fees for fiscal year 1986.
HRESHER
Volume 72, Number 28
Tuesday. February 26. 1985
INSIDE:
•Petitions due today at 3 p.m. for
RPC, Sr. Honor Council positions
•Petitions due Friday at 3 p.m. forSA
Treasurer. Honor Council at-large
•Pictures for all will be taken from
7 to 7:30 p.m Wed and Thurs
•Statements all due Thurs at 5 p m
SA disqualifies Smith from race
by Valerie Rohy
Members of the Student
Association senate clashed with
SA President Tracy Winn at a
special Thursday meeting over
requirements for the office of
treasurer. The senate disqualified
Jackie Smith as a candidate,
overruling an interpretation of the
SA constitution's requirements
accepted by Winn.
The issue first arose when it was
discovered that neither Dan Lavin
nor Smith, the candidates, had
completed an accounting course at
Rice. Both candidates cited
practical experience in bookkeep-
ing as qualifications for the
position.
The senate debated the
requirements for the position
during their regular session
February 18, and thought they had
resolved the matter.
They decided on an interpreta-
tion of the constitution which, to
their knowledge, excluded both
candidates on the basis that
experience alone was not the
"equivalent" of a Rice accounting
course.
They also extended the deadline
for submitting a petition for the
office of treasurer until March 1.
After the meeting. Smith
suggested that her three years'
involvement in Junior Achieve-
ment during high school might
serve as the equivalent of an
accounting course.
At Winn's request. Director of
Student Activities Pat Martin
asked Dean Tuggle of the Jones
School of Business Administration
to rule on Smith's qualifications.
Tuggle referred Martin to
Professor of Accounting Stephen
Zeff.
Martin and both candidates met
with Zeff on Wednesday. Zeff then
approved Smith's candidacy.
In a letter to the SA Zeff said,
"Although [Junior Achievement]
was not a course in the usual sense
of the term, I have every
confidence that it would be
accepted as the equivalent of
introductory accounting at many
universities that offer a two-
semester principles of accounting
course."
[The Thresher incorrectly
reported on Friday that Zefl
"decided that a high school
accounting class could serve as the
equivalent of a Rice accounting
course for Smith." In fact, Zeffs
decision states only that Smith's
preparation was equivalent to a
university accounting class, but
not to any offered at Rice.]
Lavin withdrew his petition
after- the meeting.
Because Smith seemed to be an
acceptable candidate, Winn sent a
memorandum to senators on
Wednesday, informing them that
the petition deadline would not be
extended and that the election
would be held as previously
scheduled.
However, Parliamentarian
David Phillips, Lovett College
President Chris Kreidler, and
Richardson College Senator
George Creel criticized Winn for
her decision and requested that she
call the special meeting to allow the
senate to resolve the matter.
At the meeting several senate
members argued that Zeffs letter
did not sufficiently establish
Smith's qualifications.
Chris Kreidler said that while
Smith's accounting experience
might satisfy course requirements
at another university, it was not the
equivalent of an accounting course
at Rice, as the constitution
specifies.
Martin contended, however,
that the SA did not specify such
qualifications at the Monday
meeting.
She said she explained to Zeff
the duties of treasurer and asked
him to determine if Smith's
accounting experience would be
adequate preparation for the
office.
Phillips contended that telling
Zeff about the duties of the
treasurer was a mistake, since Zeff
should have based his decision on
Rice course equivalency.
Said Phillips, "There is no
applicable course that the Jones
School offers [that teaches exactly
the skills needed by a treasurer].
Dr. Zeff should not have been
informed of what the treasurer had
to do before he made the decision.
It is immaterial to what he was
supposed to do."
After further discussion.
External Vice President Neal
Quimbv moved that the SA should
interpret the requirement for the
treasurer's position as "a course in
accounting at Rice University or
an academic course equivalent to
such an accounting course at Rice
University, as determined by the
Dean of Jones School."
The SA approved the motion by
a vote of 10 to seven.
Chris Claunch suggested that in
rewriting the constitution, the SA
Constitution Committee should
rephrase the section that lists the
qualifications for treasurer in
order to avoid future disputes.
The petition deadline for the
treasurer's office will be extended
once again to March 1. Thresher
statements are due February 28.
Candidates who have not
completed a Rice accounting
course must submit a letter of
approval for their candidacy from
Dean Tuggle of the Jones School.
Kleine watches as Barnett ices game
-M. Gladu
Owls stun Hogs, stay in S WC race
by Mark Matteson
The new-found Razorback
lament: "Fool us once, shame on
y'all. Fool us twice, shame on us.
And the referees."
Yes, Joe Kleine and his fellow
hogs rolled onto Autrey Court last
Sunday and were bounced right
back out, just like last year, by the
Owls of Rice U. This time around,
Rice shocked Arkansas by the
score of 71-68, amidst a not-so-
comfortable climate of 2.986
incensed fans.
More importantly, the upset sets
the stage for a Rice-Baylor
showdown (next Wednesday) in a
battle for the last spot in the
Southwest Conference Tourna-
ment line-up. Both teams have
identical 3-11 conference records,
and Baylor beat Rice in the teams'
only other meeting this year. "It
should make a great game," said
senior guard Tracy Steele.
The contest on Sunday,
however, is a game that Owl fans
will soon not forget. "The first
time, people think it's a fluke," said
sehior guard Tracy Steele, in
reference to the Owls' wins over
Arkansas. "The second time." he
went on. "they know it's real."
The Razorbacks had a hard time
fihding any reality anywhere, as
they were constantly plagued b\
Rice's tough collapsing defense
and, much to Rice's advantage,
quite a few controversial calls by
the referees. One first-half episode
in particular was illustrative of the
Hogs' frustrations: after a
questionable charging call on
Kleine. in which he ran into Greg
see Rice, page 11
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Havlak, Paul. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 28, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 26, 1985, newspaper, February 26, 1985; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245590/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.