Lambden must pick new student body treasurer

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said Dakota Williams was did not pass Student Congress as the nominee for Board of Elections chairman in 2008. The vote was in 2011. The article has been amended accordingly.

The nominee for next year’s student body treasurer did not pass through Student Congress Tuesday night — forcing Student Body President-elect Christy Lambden to go back to the drawing board.

Lambden nominated junior Matt Farley to fill a top position as treasurer in his administration when he takes office in April­ — but after an 15-11 vote, Farley did not receive two-thirds of the votes required for approval.

“I’m very disappointed,” Lambden said. “I think Matt is the best candidate for the position, and I stand by my position to appoint him.”

Farley had been approved by the rules and judiciary committee of Student Congress before his vote in the full body.

Farley said he was disappointed with the decision, but he wants to continue his work by helping the next treasurer.

“I definitely don’t plan on sitting back on all these issues I care about,” Farley said.

Conor Winters, a finance committee member on Student Congress who voted against Farley, said he believes the position needs to be filled by a more experienced candidate.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on right now at the University, specifically the tuition hike and budget cuts, and with that in mind, I was looking for a candidate with a lot of experience, and I didn’t see that in Matt Farley,” Winters said. “With all that’s happening, I want a strong voice to come in as treasurer.”

But Farley said he is well-equipped for the role.

“I have more than enough experience and the skills you need to be an effective treasurer, and I’ve already taken the steps to becoming one,” he said.

Farley serves as executive assistant to current Student Body Treasurer Shrija Ghosh — who said she understands why the decision was made.

“I can see where Congress is coming from. I was a member of Congress and my predecessor was a member, as was the one before that,” Ghosh said.

“I could see how Matt not being a member of Congress would be cause for concern.”

This is not the first time a president-elect’s nominee did not pass through Student Congress. In 2011, previous treasurer Dakota Williams was nominated for chairman of the Board of Elections but was denied.

Lambden said his plan for the treasurer’s responsibilities included addressing tuition increases and financial aid, which he believed his nominee was well-versed in.

Lambden said his advisers will meet to discuss who the replacement nominee will be in the next few days.

“I think we’ve already gone through the application process, and the most crucial thing now is appointing someone I think will do the best job for the student body,” Lambden said.

Ghosh said she hopes the next treasurer will meet all the necessary responsibilities.

“It should be someone who can keep an eye on the finance committee and handle whatever tuition increases come down the pipeline next year,” she said.

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.