Wilsona board votes itself a fat - pay cut

We've often written in criticism of one elected body or another, lamenting how board members have helped themselves to a nice, big, fat raise in pay. Or we'll lament how they're helping themselves to additional perks of some kind.

But now we must make note of the fact that one school board - Wilsona, in Lake Los Angeles - is voting itself out of its $240-per-member monthly stipend.

With the state budget debacle that's unfolding, the district needs to cut some $1.1 million from the budget. So the $14,400 that will be saved is largely symbolic.

But it's an important symbol. When board members make those agonizing decisions about cutting staff, they can honestly say that they, too, are willing too take on some of the financial hit.

The board vote was 3-2, and we wouldn't suggest that the two dissenters were wrong in voting against it.

Serving on a board, when done correctly, takes a lot of work, and it's no fun making staff cuts. Board members often take a lot of heat, especially when things aren't going well financially.

It can be a tough job. They earn their modest stipends, in most cases, on most boards around the Valley.

Some Wilsona board members expressed concern that it might be harder to get others to run in the future if there is no stipend.

We'd like to think people would perform public service for the sake of serving the public, but if the stipend proves to be a factor, the board can always revisit the issue when the next economic upswing comes along.

No, $14,400 in savings won't solve the financial woes of the Wilsona School District. But the board's vote does sent a message that should be heard, not only by everyone in that district, but around the Valley and around the state.