Tuesday, April 27, 1999 The University Daily Kansan Section A • Page 5 City stays inside quarterly budget Parking revenues, sales taxes go down By Heather Woodward hwoodward @kansan.com Kansan staff writer City offices and departments are coloring inside the lines of their budgets, according to a quarterly report that the Lawrence City Commission will review tonight "It shows that different organizations are keeping in pace with their budgets," said Marty Kennedy, commissioner. "That keeps us in line, so we're not spending ahead of ourselves." The report details the city's financial activities for the first three months of the year. Sales taxes and public parking revenues both decreased this year compared with 1998. However, city officials said the lower revenue this year was not cause for alarm. "January is always lower, that didn't surprise me at all," said Mike Wildgen, city manager. "But it is lower compared with other years as well. At this point, we don't know if it's a trend or whether it's just an anomaly." The report said a decrease in Riverfront Mall and metered parking caused the lower parking revenue, down $26,000 from 1998. After a May 4 goal-setting ses sion with the new commission city officials will begin establishing a budget for next year. "The Riverfront Mall has been declining for some time," Wilden said. "They closed three stores down there at the first of this year. There are just fewer people going down there." David Dunfield, commissioner, said the report acted as an informational gauge of estimated revenues and expenditures and could be used as an aid in planning next issue in terms of the budget ramifications," Dunfield said. "Other than that I don't really have anything specific in mind." Kennedy said the initial lower sales tax number acted as a reminder that the budget should not rely heavily on projected sales tax revenue. "As a general rule, it seems that sales tax is very variable from year to year with no apparent reason." Kennedy said. "With each quarterly report, comes the realization that sales tax is a very volatile tax." Wilden said planning the budget was a difficult process. "We will look at this report in terms of revenue estimations, but it only represents one point in time," Wildgen said. "It helps with the base numbers to make estimates, but it's one of the biggest guessing games you'll ever go through." Edited by Tara Hinkhouse ACLU debates elections code regulation By Nadia Mustafa nmustafa@kansan.com Kansas staff writer The KU chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is questioning the constitutionality of an elections code regulation that prohibits students from wearing campaign paraphernalia while voting in Student Senate elections. Buddy Llovd, president of the KU chapter of ACLU, said that although he wanted to resolve his concerns without involving outside parties, he would take further action if necessary. He said he would soon meet with the elections commissioner to discuss the alleged constitutional violation. The elections code states that there should be no campaigning within 100 feet of a polling site and that no campaign materials should be visible or audible from the sites. Poll workers are required to request that students remove campaign buttons and other paraphernalia before casting their votes. Jennifer Watkins, elections commissioner, said that the rule was intended to prevent students from influencing one another's votes at the polling sites. Patty Jaimes, Douglas County clerk, said that the county used similar reasoning when it implemented the rule that there should be no "electioneering," or campaigning, within 250 feet of a polling site. But, Lloyd said, in elections outside the University of Kansas, voters with campaign paraphernalia were allowed to vote and ticketed later with the opportunity to appeal. In Student Senate elections this year, students who did not remove their buttons or other campaign materials were not allowed to vote. "It's arbitrary decisions by untrained poll workers." Lloyd said. "It's a big issue because it involves constitutional violations." Lloyd said that the regulation may violate the section of the Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities that permitted expression Lloyd forwarded his complaint to the state ACLU chapter for legal consultation and advice. He said he had waited a week and half after elections to voice his concerns because he had to conduct research to determine whether he thought it really was a violation. and discussion on campus of all views that didn't prevent the maintenance of order. In addition, he said, the Fifth Amendment afforded citizens the right to due process. Lloyd said this was the first year he had noticed poll workers requesting students to remove campaign buttons. Previously, he said, they had not enforced the rule. Edited by Tara Hinkhouse Shop the Kansan Location, location, location. From our front yard you can see KU. Nice days you can walk. Bad days you can ride the bus. We have 3 bus stops conveniently located. Getting to classes couldn't be easier. Our greatest amenities are natural. We are located on 42 acres, so our buildings are not bunched up together. We are not buildings and concrete. Look around. We have meadows, trees everywhere plants and shrubs. You will enjoy the view from every window. 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