The members of the Hutchinson School Board discuss the change of payment in the future – Twin Cities

Should the compensation of the members of the Hutchinson School Board increase?

The outgoing board member, Chris Wilke, addressed the theme during a quarterly meeting on August 24. He cited the stipend of the members of the School Board, $ 3,500 per year, and compared it with the school districts of a similar size, as well as other joints and commissions of Hutchinson. For example, members of the City Council of Hutchinson are paid approximately $ 6,200 a year, members of the local Public Services Commission are paid $ 5,300 a year, members of the Princeton School Board of Princeton They pay $ 5,400 a year and the members of the Fergus Falls School Board are paid $ 5,400 a year.

“I just wanted to see the conversation with the board,” Wilke said. “I took a look at my personal meeting charge as a member of the Board, and I would like us to do that at some point in the future.”

He said he attended 40 meetings a year without taking into account the negotiations.

Wilke said he and other members of the Board serve to improve the district, but said that 15 years had passed since the payment had been adjusted. The subject is visited every January, but the members of the Board refuse to make any change.

“I understand that this issue can be seen as selfish,” he said. “I want this Board to be a vibrant Board, to maintain professional candidates in the future, to always be perceived as one of the best meetings for their public service opportunities.”

Wilke said the time seemed correct to discuss the compensation of the Board members because five seats are on the electoral ballot this November, and there could be five new members of the Board with 10 candidates on the electoral ballot. The members of the Wilke Board, Byron Bettenhausen and Brian Pollmann did not request re -election. Wilke proposed to make a decision before the end of the year, with any change in which he will enter into force in January.

Bettenhausen said that any member of the Board Vote is unlikely to increase their own salary, since doing so may seem a conflict of interest.

“It looks better from my point of view,” he said. “I will not return to the Board, so if I vote to increase the payment to obtain better candidates in the future and maintain this viable with other joints in the community, I will not receive an increase.”

“We want to be respectful of people’s time,” said Pollmann. “I guess that’s what is really reduced. People who work on this board spend a lot of time to that, and a lot of energy in that. … I understand the politics behind this. It is a very difficult decision to make. It can look bad. “

The school board plans to discuss the subject during a regular meeting in the future.

Originally published: September 2, 2020 at 10:02 pm CDT