Just when you think you have heard it all, then something like this comes along. Kelly Fraasch proposed an increase for commissioners - from $3500 to $5000 a year. She cites that commission meetings are now twice a month, meetings as commission liaisons, all those community events, and then there is email, which wasn't around in 1993 when stipends were set at $3500.
I could hear Nick Meduho now. You don't answer emails! You make Keith McGill answer all your emails. You don't give out information unless it goes past the solicitor as Right To Knows. In the last few summers, you have reduced your meetings to once a month. Don't forget how commission liaison John Bendel went to the Sports Advisory Board in October 2014 and asked how they wanted to spend their pot of gold at one of those board meetings. It was about $750,000 and now we are to give you guys more money? Unreal.
Come on, folks. Do you really think commissioners deserve a 42.9% increase?
This would not take affect until four years after the ordinance is passed, thanks to the home rule charter. Read more in The Almanac Raise proposed for Mt. Lebanon commissioners
18 comments:
“Fraasch said the extra amount could serve as incentive for more people with good qualifications to run for the office, especially women whose households might be on tight budgets.” The Almanac
Really, we’re looking for prospective candidates “especially women” that are interested in supplementing their household income.
Now I’ve heard it all!
Do people really do it for the money ?
So, I guess we can assume people, “especially women” women aren’t interested in serving the community unless there’s something in it for them financially?
Actually, the whole thing is inverted. The commissioners should make a lot more, and the staff (PIO and Municipal Manager) should make a lot less. Right now, the unelected officials are paid big six figures and make all the decisions. The elected officials get nothing.
If this was part of a bigger reform government package, this would be a good idea. As a stand alone item, it is not.
Seems fair. Good for them. $1,500 more to deal with the abuse is a bargain.
Don’t have a problem with a small increase, but do have a problem with the rational for it.
“Fraasch said the extra amount could serve as incentive for more people with good qualifications to run for the office, especially women whose households might be on tight budgets.” The Almanac
Why “especially women” whose households might be on tight budgets? Are there no men out there with good qualifications that would run for commissioner if it weren’t for their households tight budget?
I thought this whole unity thing stood for not looking at a persons gender, skin color, religion, ethnicity, income, or sexual preference. Why not just make that case that an increase might incentivize good “people” to run for office?
Margolis has a point.
9:02 do you have any sympathy for the abuse Elaine has endured with no compensation for just running a community blog?
i agree it is a very very strange reasoning for an increase in pay,,and it doesn't seem very classy,, I don't think Mrs Stephenson would be asking for a raise and also none of the other boards,, ie traffic, school receive compensation and they can spend hours and have quite a bit of material to digest,,in previous years, esp in Lebo,, people were on the commission or service on the school board not for pay or benefits but to use their skills to help strengthen their community and schools,, it's only in the large city or politically corrupt communities were money was ever considered...
Rather than raising compensation for commissioners why don’t they help those households on tight budgets (m/f, single mom, minority, and LGBT) by holding the line on expenditures and taxes.
Do we really need million dollar turfed fields, expensive magazine (USC runs theirs for a fraction of MTL), 6% payraises and $20k bonuses, New York City trips, and underwriting fundraisers? Rather than haing the Parking Authority ride around in and expensive gas guzzling Ford Explorer they use an economy car and put the saved money into a truck with plow so people can get to work safely.
Maybe then those “women” could afford to run for office!
Since there are no women on the police force, perhaps we should pay the officers more so that women could afford to apply. To have more men in the public information office, we must be paying too much. When we hired our male manager, male assistant manager, male public works director, and male finance director, should we have offered more in salary so that women could afford to apply? That is my take away by this flawed logic.
Elaine
I don't know anyone who runs for commission for the money. What about the school board? They don't get paid. Oops. Maybe I shouldn't have brought that up.
Commissioners are receiving a stipend to defray their costs. It is not for paying for their time.
Elaine
9:02 do you have any sympathy for the abuse Elaine has endured with no compensation for just running a community blog?
Comments like this are the real reason the move to Facebook ain't happening: monologues meant to look like dialogues.
Here we go again. Please stop reading my blog, if you are so unhappy with me.
Elaine
Not unhappy with you. It's just more obvious than you think.
You're right. You really aren't you. I am having a monologue with myself. I'm back to ignoring you again.
Elaine
I guess 9:02/8:47 we may assume from your 8:47 comment you have no sympathy for a resident/taxpayer/woman being abused for engaging in her constitutional right to free speech, correct?
I am with Jason. Mt. Lebanon needs a new system of government. A mayor (not Keith or Susan) and a muni council. This five commissioner thing is outdated and ineffective. I say reduce their stipend by $1,500.
I too like the mayor idea!
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