Student Senators Oppose the Measure

By Gabriel Davila

Student Government senators Bryan Torres, Andrea Dazell, and SG President R.J. Mohammad met with officials from the Auxiliary Services corp. on April 21 and discussed the motion to increase the price of parking decals by 4%. Although the SG officials voiced their reasoning against the increase. The motion passed by 4-2.

“I’d rather take a parking ticket than pay for the decal,” said Andrea Dazell. “The Staten Island mall has more accessible parking than the campus and not every student can afford the parking decal because of how demanding the cost is.”

The Banner previously reported that approximately 6,400 students purchased parking decals last year and the fee continues to rise annually as prices of campus maintenance increases.

“A few years ago it was done to create more classifications and percentages would not affect people, goes up 4 dollars a year for students and depending on how long students are on campus and come by, the increase is insignificant,” said Ira Persky, CSI’s Vice President of Finance and Administration.

The parking decals will increase in price from $111 to $115 for a full academic year for non-residents, residents on campus will now pay $231 as opposed to $222, and half year students will pay $62 instead of $60, according to financial reports.

The ASC voiced the necessity of the increase but Senior R.J. Mohammed discussed the increase and its continual effects on students.

“I agree with the faculty perspective but, I advocate for the students,” he said.

“I receive messages and calls about how the decals are too expensive. Since I represent them, I want what’s best for students. I’m leaving in one month but, I’m thinking about how things would be in 10 years from now, 4% a year leads up to 40% by then,” he continued.

The Banner reported that the ASC is a non-profit business and most of its funds are therefore raised in house through decal sales and parking enforcement.

These funds are used for fixing potholes on campus and creating new parking spaces.

“If the decal continues to go up, it would be a larger issue but it isn’t happening that way,” said ASC official Jacqueline Armany. “This small percent increase would help more than deter, either we increase the cost for buses by $40 or the 4% increase.”