The Undergraduate Council's executive board voted yesterday morning to hold a referendum on financial reforms at the same time as the campus-wide elections for president and vice president.

While some candidates said increasing the amount of money the council grants to student groups is an important campaign issue, others said they fear the issues surrounding grants allocations will be overshadowed by election period politicking.

"I do feel that it's being forced into a campaign issue," said vice presidential candidate Joseph A. Sena '99.

"It is an issue that needs to be brought out but brought out in an informed fashion. I'm afraid that with the election, [the information] will be very slanted," said Sena, who is a Crimson editor.

Lamelle D. Rawlins '99 and Michael A. O'Mary '99, who are running for president and vice-president as a ticket, submitted a petition for a referendum on the council's grant allocations at Sunday's council meeting.

The referendum asks for a five percent increase in the minimum amount of money the council sets aside for grants to student groups. The council's constitution currently sets the minimum amount at 60 percent, but the council awarded 63 percent of its budget to student groups this year.

The referendum would also set aside an additional five percent of the council's revenue to be given as unrestricted block grants to House Committees.

The referendum questions will become part of the council's constitution if 50 percent of voters are in favor of the changes and the turnout is greater than 25 percent of the student body.

Although the petition efforts were organized by Rawlins and O'Mary, Rawlins said the referendum was motivated more by the issue than by their campaign.

"It's very much an issue, regardless of who brought it up," said Rawlins, the current vice-president. "I don't think it matters where the referendum came from."

They also timed it with the election because of concern that the referendum would not achieve the required turnout otherwise, O'Mary said.

Other candidates, however, said they fear the referendum battle will be used merely to boost Rawlins and O'Mary's campaign.

"If people are going to see it as being part and parcel of the Rawlins/O'Mary campaign, then logistically, that's a problem," said Mark A. Price '98, a vice presidential candidate.

One council member who is not running in the election also accused Rawlins of using the issue as a campaign tactic.

"I think it's unfortunate that instead of running on her record, that she feels it's necessary to put out this politically motivated position," said Sam Spital '00, a council member.