Several members of the ASFC and the audience, which included around 10 former ASFC members, were visibly emotional after the 15-8 vote to eliminate funding for the position.

The $72,800 in salary and benefits for the part-time position had been approved in the original 2012-13 ASFC budget.

But a May 7 vote for final approval from the district board of trustees was delayed when Foothill College president Judy Miner pulled the item after some students raised concerns about the process in which the budget was passed.

ASFC legislative director Jorell Dye said he thought the position was important, but that its cost was prohibitive.

“I don’t believe the ratio of cost to students benefited justified voting for it,” he said.

Vice president of the senate Hitch Larhnimi voted against the cut and said he helped organize the large number of students who packed an April 19 meeting to support funding for Mitchell’s position.

“It’s been a roller coaster,” he said. “The majority won, that’s how it is. How I feel doesn’t matter.”

Senator Rodrigo Lemmi also spoke in favor of funding the position during the meeting.

“It’s a really big loss, not just for athletes,” he said.

Vice president of student services Denise Swett told students that Mitchell has enough seniority that if the ASFC did not fund the position, he would have the right to take over a position from a less senior staff member.

Many former ASFC members spoke at the start of the meeting, with most making a point of praising the work of adviser Daphne Small, who has faced accusations of presenting inaccurate information regarding the budget process from several students.

Controversy about the budget dates back to spring 2011, when the student government passed a revised 2011-12 budget that included $112,753 for salary and benefits of the intramural/volunteer center coordinator, a single position made up of two part-time jobs.

While the ASFC had created and historically supported the intramural position, the volunteer position was created and funded by the college until it was cut in 2011.

Several members of student government, including current budget commissioner Joseph Otayde, former ASFC president Dye, and former student trustee Etienne Bowie said Small gave students the impression that they had to support the entire salary and benefits, which included the volunteer portion,  in order to keep the intramural position.

“We were told we had supported this salary in the past,” Dye said. “We weren’t told we hadn’t supported the volunteer program in the past.”

Dean of student affairs Pat Hyland denied there was any deliberate manipulation by Small. Hyland admitted there was confusion and said better education of student government was needed in the future.

“Going forward they’re going to get a force feeding of financials,” she said.

Other changes to the budget included eliminating $15,000 for extending library hours.

Dye originally made a motion to add $5,000 to the line item, but discussion revealed that it was unclear what $20,000 would achieve. Dye changed his motion to eliminating the item, saying students should get more information on the subject.