Pittsfield council refers proposal to study school committee pay to personnel review board after heated debate

The Pittsfield City Council on March 25 voted unanimously to refer a petition asking that the city review and consider increasing compensation for school committee members to the Personnel Review Board.

Proponents, including Councilor Warren, said the move is intended to encourage more candidates to run for school committee seats and to reflect the substantial workload the committee faces. Warren said the pay has not changed meaningfully since it was introduced and that increasing compensation could help attract a broader pool of candidates ahead of a charter review and upcoming school governance decisions.

"You get what you pay for," Warren said during an extended floor speech explaining why the matter should go to the personnel review board for comparative study. Several other councilors — including Councilor Acosta, Councilor Lucretia, Councilor Olympiase and Councilor Kavy — voiced agreement that modest compensation could make it feasible for working parents and others to serve.

Opponents stressed that money should not be the primary motivation for running for office. Councilor Wren said she supported hearings on the question but said compensation alone should not be the incentive to serve.

Council discussion noted a practical deadline: Warren said the city must consider the change before July to affect pay timing; otherwise, any change would be delayed for two years. The council referred the petition by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Background: the item came to the council from the Ordinance and Rules Committee, which recommended not to approve the petition as drafted and to refer compensation matters to the Charter Review Committee; Warren moved referral to the Personnel Review Board for a focused study on appropriate compensation levels. Several councilors repeatedly cited recent difficulties filling school committee seats as a motivating factor for review.