The Undergraduate Council approved its budget for the 1999-2000 academic year last night, acknowledging that it needs money--and fast.

Treasurer Sterling P. Darling '01warned that council revenues will likely decrease next year, possibly breaking an already strained council budget.

"We can hold things together with shoestring and gum for one more year," said Darling, "but this is the last year that it can be done."

Todd E. Plants '01 objected to the budget several times on the grounds that council President Noah Z. Seton '00 and Darling wrote it without consulting other council representatives, and did not give council members enough time to speak with their constituents before the vote.

After Plants motioned for delays ranging from three minutes to a week, the council approved the budget 55 to 14, with one abstention.

This year's budget allocates nearly $120,000, or 67.5 percent, of the council's assets to grants for student groups in need of money, the largest amount in council history. Last year, 63.75 percent of the funds went towards student group grants.

But because of the recent inflationary growth in the number of groups on campus (students started over 20 new groups last year, and Darling said he expects that as many as 170 groups will apply for grants this year), the average grant size is expected to decrease again this year.

"The growth in student groups has not been matched by a growth in student funds," Darling said.