County Board Amends List of Stipends

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The Washtenaw County commissioner who is appointed to the Detroit Region Aerotropolis board will now be eligible to receive stipend payments. At the county board’s Feb. 6, 2013 meeting, commissioners voted to add the aerotropolis board to a list of groups for which stipends are paid.

Commissioner Rolland Sizemore Jr. (D-District 5) was appointed to serve on the aerotropolis at the county board’s Jan. 16, 2013 meeting. He’ll receive an annual stipend of $100 for that work. Sizemore’s appointment on Jan. 16 came in the context of the annual county commissioner appointments made at the start of each year. [.pdf of 2013 appointments listing]

The original list of eligible boards, committees and commissions for which stipends are paid was approved at the county board’s Dec. 5, 2012 meeting. However, the aerotropolis stipend had not been included in that list.

At that Dec. 5 meeting, commissioners had voted to alter their compensation to receive stipend payments based on the number of meetings that a commissioner is likely to attend for a particular appointment. One or two meetings per year would pay $50, three or four meetings would pay $100, and the amounts increase based on the number of meetings. Each commissioner typically has several appointments. In the past, commissioners had to request per diem payments for their work. Now, stipend payments will be made automatically, unless commissioners waive their stipends by giving written notice to the county clerk.

According to the county clerk’s office, Dan Smith (R-District 2) is the only commissioner who has waived all of his stipends. Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) waived the $150 stipend for the accommodations ordinance commission. She serves as an alternate for the AOC. Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6) does not receive any stipends because he was not appointed to any boards, committees or commissions.

The action taken on Feb. 6 also eliminated the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority from the list of boards, committees and commissions for which stipends are paid. No commissioners are appointed to the RTA.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county administration building, 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor. A more detailed report will follow: [link]