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Board approves 2% increase to member pay after debate over attendance requirement
Summary
After debate over whether pay should be tied to attendance, the Hartford UHS board approved a 2% increase to the compensation rates shown on the screen; an earlier proposal to tie pay to meeting attendance was removed by amendment.
The Hartford UHS School District board approved an amended compensation package for board members after debate over an attendance‑based payout clause.
Craig Westfall moved a proposal that set annual pay at $3,500 for board members with the president receiving a 10% premium and included language tying payment to meeting attendance. During discussion, board members questioned whether the proposed wording would include special or additional meetings. Monica offered an amendment that would simply increase the rates shown on the screen by 2% and would not include the attendance‑based language.
The board approved the amendment (count recorded in the meeting as 11 in favor, 3 opposed). The amended compensation package then passed on a subsequent vote (the meeting record gives the final tally as nine in favor, three opposed on the final motion as recorded in the roll/hand counts). Craig Westfall, explaining his original motion, said the figure reflected compensation for preparation and time beyond attending meetings: "I think it's appropriate" and that members spend many additional hours preparing.
Board members and counsel discussed that state policy and legal advice give members discretion over participation in closed sessions and that the attendance‑link language could be amended or removed; the board ultimately accepted Monica’s simpler, across‑the‑board percentage increase.
The board recorded the votes during the electors' session and moved on to other annual meeting items after the compensation matter concluded.
