The University of Central Arkansas has asked the state's top attorney whether a $300,000 bonus for President Lu Hardin violated the law by exceeding a state-mandated salary cap.

Randy Sims, chairman of the school's board of trustees, Thursday asked Attorney General Dustin McDaniel for an advisory opinion. The request asks whether the use of public money for the bonus violates a salary cap established by state legislators. The public money comes from excess university revenue from student housing fees and food and book sales.

Trustees approved a bonus package two months ago, giving Hardin an additional $60,000 a year for five years on top of his $253,000 annual salary. Hardin has said he will likely ask trustees to vote again on the pay package, because of the method used to approve it--discussing it in closed session, and then voting on it in open session with saying what was being voted on.

However, the former state senator has insisted that the vote taken was valid.



(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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