“Hello, I heard the Water District commission did not cut their wages for meetings. I would like to see a breakdown of the board’s votes and who voted which way.”
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Red Phone: Dear Not Trimming Away The Excess, The Santa Clara Valley Water District’s board of directors voted 4-3 during their meeting Aug. 23 to keep the current stipend of $286.03 per meeting rather than reducing to the 2009 rate of $260.03.Â
Board members who voted against the decrease were Tony Estremera, Joe Judge, Patrick Kwok and Richard Santos. Those that voted for the decrease were Board Chair Don Gage, Linda LeZotte and Brian Schmidt.Â
Hats off to members like Gage who voted for the decrease. While the total amount saved would have been a drop in the bucket compared to the $312.6 million operating budget for fiscal year 2011-12, it would be a symbolic move and a step in the right direction.
There have been about 30 board meetings this year. To pay the seven board members the current rate has cost about $60,000 so far. If they would have been paid the lower rate, the district would have spent just $54,000.Â
