McHenry County Board member Larry Smith, who lost his Republican re-nomination effort, forced discussion of Board of Health members wanting to be paid for what is now a voluntary job.
Or, as he put it, “such roles are often considered acts of service.”
Another motivation might just be greed.
The Chairman will be paid $140 per meeting, while the rest will receive $100 a meeting.
Money for the first year would be paid from money left over from overtaxation this year and enough taxation next and in future years from us taxpayers.
Here is the justification from Board of Health President Joseph Clark for switching from voluntary to paid positions as found in Finance and Audit Committee minutes: “participation on the Board of Health requires significantly more time and effort than many volunteers initially expect. He noted that members often anticipate contributing primarily within their professional expertise, but the role requires addressing a wide range of public health issues, including septic systems, wells, communicable diseases, and other regulatory matters. He stated that board members must review extensive materials, often exceeding 70 pages per meeting, and attend meetings that regularly last over an hour, in addition to committee meetings.”
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Perhaps prospective members should be shown an agenda.
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Clark emphasized that the time commitment is substantial and that compensation is appropriate,
noting that state statute has authorized such compensation since before 2007
Voting in favor of payments in committee were
- Mike Skala
- Carolyn Campbell
- John Collins
- Eric Hendricks
- Larry Smith
Terri Greeno voted against the proposal.
