Until close to the end of a fiscal year, the department, therefore the Committee, is unsure how much money will be available for equipment. As the money is made available, the Committee will try to funds purchases, starting with those, which get the highest rating. As new requests are submitted to the Committee or as more money becomes available, the priority list is updated. All priorities are assigned relative to current requests and funding. Therefore, just being in the same situation as another individual in the past doesn't imply the same treatment in the future.
Some needs are more urgent than others.
For example, if a departmental network printer in Harrelson breaks down, the Committee would consider the need as urgent. On the other hand, if a faculty member requests a printer cartridge for different fonts, the Committee would usually consider the need not as urgent. A large monitor may be essential for certain administrative staff. But it may just be convenient for a typical faculty member. Thus the same request for a larger monitor could be ranked differently.