In MUNSU’s board meeting on Tuesday, September 29th, members voted to hold a referendum to increase the media levy from $4 to $5.49. The exact referendum question reads as follows:
Are you in support of raising the media levy fee from $4.00 per student per semester to $5.49 per student per semester with a yearly increase in accordance with the Consumer Price Index, effective September 2027?
Voting will begin on October 21st at 9:00 am until October 22nd at 9:00 pm as part of the MUNSU by-elections.
In order for the referendum to pass, at least 10% of enrolled students need to vote with two-thirds in favour. With MUN’s 2024-25 Annual Report putting St. John’s Campus enrolment at 10,501, that would mean at least 1,050 votes must be cast with at least 700 in favour.
The media levy is currently a $4 fee students pay every semester which gets divided 50/50 between The Muse and CHMR-FM.
The initial referendum question contemplated by the board proposed a media levy increase from $4.00 to $7.00. The board then amended the question to increase the media levy from $4.00 to $5.49.
The reasoning for the change was attributed to the likelihood of students voting for a $1.49 as opposed to a $3 increase.
The referendum will be the first time in 25 years that the fee is subject to a potential increase. It has remained at $4 since the 2001 referendum, with neither an increase for inflation or any other change.
Editor-in-Chief Kaelem Tingate announced on Instagram that it “would allow The Muse to keep semesterly print editions going.”
Executive Director of Finances, Nathan Gillingham, stated during the meeting that it would give “new energy towards student democracy.”