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County staff outline AB 1390 changes that raise trustee stipend caps
Summary
Associate Superintendent Steve Torres briefed the board on AB 1390, which raised statutory maximum stipends for district and county board members effective Jan. 1, 2026 — class-3 COEs like Santa Barbara move from $300 to $1,500 per month; the county currently pays $40 per meeting.
Associate Superintendent Steve Torres presented AB 1390, the state law that raises maximum trustee compensation caps based on average daily attendance. He explained the law took effect Jan. 1, 2026, and provided examples of the new maximums: "For the smallest districts, previously, the maximum compensation rate was $60 per month. That's increased to $600 a month," and for class-3 county offices the maximum rises "from $300 a month to $1,500 a month." He said the county currently uses a $40 per-meeting rate.
Trustees asked procedural questions about how boards adopt or decline to use the new maximums and discussed equity implications: one trustee said stipends can enable candidates with childcare or hourly-work constraints to serve. The board agreed the topic merits a fuller discussion at a later meeting or committee and tabled further action for future consideration.
