By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
A proposal to use $65,000 in free cash to fund stipends for members of appointed boards and committees failed after a lengthy debate over volunteer service, equity and whether compensation should play a role in local government.
The discussion at the Wednesday, May 27, Town Council meeting saw councilors divided over whether stipends would help broaden participation in town government or undermine the spirit of volunteerism. This vote would not apply to elected positions.
“Whatever we vote on tonight, it doesn’t create a permanent entitlement,” said Councilor Dan Donovan. “Regardless of how you feel about it, whether you support stipends or not, I think what we’re doing is a test. Let’s do it for a year, see how it works.”
Supporters argued the proposal could help remove barriers for residents who would like to serve on appointed boards, while opponents questioned whether the expense could be justified.
While the measure received majority support in a 5-3 vote, it did not secure the two-thirds majority required under the town charter.
A one-year stipend
Under the plan, chairs would have received $50 per meeting, while other members would have received $40 per meeting. Chairs of appointed boards who also serve on the Town Council would not be eligible for the chair stipend.
The estimated baseline cost was $57,400, with the appropriation including a $7,600 buffer for additional meetings, vacancies or newly created boards.
Town Manager Michael Borg said the model accounted for all proposed boards, though some would require separate council action before members could legally receive compensation under the charter.
Borg noted the policy tied compensation to attendance and scheduled meetings through minutes submitted to the town clerk.
“The Board of Assessors was one that meets weekly, so they did receive the highest compensation under the current model,” Borg said while explaining how the policy calculated stipends based on meeting frequency.
Payments would have been made in arrears following attendance verification and subject to payroll withholding and W-2 reporting.
Supporters, opponents make their case
Supporters framed the proposal as both a one-year pilot program and a restoration of stipends that had previously been suspended years ago as a temporary budget measure.
Councilor John Simmons said the Finance Subcommittee unanimously recommended positive action and noted the issue had been discussed multiple times previously.
“The only reason I did vote yes was because in 2008 or ’09, when we ended stipends, it was a temporary measure,” Simmons said. “That temporary measure has become a forever measure, unless we address it now.”
Councilor Laura Wagner argued the proposal could help broaden participation among residents facing financial barriers such as child care costs, work schedules or lost wages.
“There may be people out there who do have financial barriers and would like to be present,” Wagner said. “The people who have barriers are not coming forward, so we don’t even know who they are.”
Wagner later added the stipends were relatively minor in the context of the town’s overall budget and could help diversify participation in local government.
“We’re talking about $40 a meeting,” Wagner said. “No one is going to quit their job for this.”
Councilor John Costello said he viewed the stipends less as an incentive and more as a small acknowledgment for volunteers who may spend money on gas, training or other service-related costs.
Opponents said they were unconvinced the town currently faced a volunteer shortage and raised concerns about using free cash for a program they feared could become difficult to reverse later.
Councilor Andrea Slobogan said she had previously asked Borg whether the town was struggling to fill volunteer positions.
“We actually have full boards,” Slobogan said.
She also questioned how the town would measure the program’s success and whether the $65,000 might be needed for an unforeseen expense.
Councilor Kevin McCarthy said he understood arguments on both sides, but worried about creating expectations for compensation if the town later chose not to continue the program.
“What if next year we don’t have that money?” McCarthy said.
Vice President Keith Lapointe agreed that certain boards — particularly the Board of Assessors — carried workloads more comparable to jobs and could warrant separate consideration, but opposed the broader proposal before the council.
Lapointe said he was less concerned about people serving for the money than about the long-term implications of creating a program supporters themselves described as “temporary.”
“It was hard enough to take it away last time,” Lapointe said, arguing the town could place volunteers in a difficult position if stipends were later discontinued.
He also questioned the payroll processing, tax reporting and administrative work tied to relatively small payments, while arguing compensation could alter the meaning of volunteer public service.
“I think there’s a lot of power in being able to say, ‘I don’t get anything for this,’” Lapointe said.
With the measure failing to receive a sixth affirmative vote needed to reach the two-thirds majority threshold, the stipend program will not move forward under the proposed free cash appropriation.
Town Council President Justin Pare, Simmons, Donovan, Wagner and Costello voted in favor. Slobogan, McCarthy and Lapointe voted against it.
Councilor Mark Gould was absent and did not vote, but told the North Star Reporter in an emailed statement that he remains committed to serving on the council despite limited attendance this year because of professional and family obligations.