Blanket tax increase for intramurals proposed

By Cameron Wallace     4/3/18 11:17pm

A student body referendum will decide whether to raise blanket tax fees $5 to cover intramural sports expenses, after the Student Association Senate unanimously passed a resolution supporting the increase on Monday.

The blanket tax increase will be implemented if it receives a two-thirds approval by 20 percent of the student body on a campuswide referendum in the upcoming second-round SA elections.

“[Intramural sports] is one of the most followed programs at Rice so we want to make sure it continues,” SA President Ariana Engles said at Senate when introducing the legislation two weeks ago.

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Engles said the bill will increase the portion of blanket tax that goes directly to the intramural sports program at Rice from $20 to $25.

According to Engles, the increase is necessary to sustain the intramural sports program due to cost increases since the last time it was increased in 2007, from $15 to $20. Engles said that causes for the increase in cost include the construction of the new Recreation Center, a federally mandated increase in salary for staff and the increased minimum wage for IM officials.

Engles said participation in intramural sports has increased from about 4,100 students in the 2006-07 school year to about 4,980 students this school year, while equipment costs have increased from $1,600 to $3,750.

Second round SA election voting will start on Monday, April 9, at 10 p.m.

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