The Arts and Science Federation of Associations is searching for candidates to act as chief electoral officer in their next general election, but the controversy surrounding the resignation of their previous CEO has left students feeling hesitant to step up to the plate.
ASFA VP internal Schubert Laforest indicated at last Thursday’s council meeting that it has been “very difficult” to entice people to apply for the position in the wake of ASFA’s Oct. 12 and 13 byelections in which then-CEO Marvin Cidamon was found to have committed several electoral violations. Ballots were then required to be recounted in order to verify who won the elections and Cidamon ultimately resigned.
“I think that might have turned off a lot of people,” said Laforest, who is urgently trying to find a new CEO to avoid a repeat of these “technical hiccups” and begin planning for ASFA’s general elections, which are tentatively set for next February.
Laforest has so far received one response to the job opening. However, the potential candidate in question decided to drop out and not apply for the position just before the council meeting.
Cidamon’s election report, presented at council by Laforest, listed the overall cost of the October byelections as $4,477. According to this report, Cidamon himself received a docked pay of $350 for his services as CEO, though some council members expressed concerns over whether the former CEO received any money at all considering the violations.
“Originally the number was going to be $250,” said ASFA president Alex Gordon, describing the $350 as “a middle ground” decided upon by the financial committee. “It’s less than minimum wage.”
According to Gordon, the committee took into account the amount of work that Cidamon put into organizing the byelections, coupled with the fact that the hour-to-work ratio for the position is less than minimum wage.
“Regardless of what happened, we still should recognize that he did get the election done at the end of the day,” said VP finance Laura Gomez.
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