Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance Compensation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board votes to raise trustee stipend to $2,000 a month under AB 1390; one trustee objects to immediate effective date
Summary
Following state law changes, the Salinas Union High School District board approved increasing monthly trustee stipends to $2,000 effective Jan. 1, 2026; one trustee voted no on principle, saying pay increases for elected officials should take effect after the next election.
The Salinas Union High School District board approved an increase in monthly trustee compensation to the $2,000 maximum authorized under AB 1390, citing the district’s average daily attendance of 14,759.
Staff explained the law modernizes trustee stipends to reduce financial barriers to public service. Trustees debated optics and timing; one trustee said the policy is deserved but expressed a constitutional‑style concern about elected officials voting themselves raises that take effect immediately and said they voted against implementation now. Other trustees noted the change was state‑legislated and common across districts.
The motion passed with one recorded opposition. Board members asked staff to provide comparative data on what nearby districts are doing and to prepare messaging to labor partners and the public outlining that the change was driven by state legislation.
The stipend increase is effective Jan. 1, 2026, per the board action.
