Lacey Equity team pushes for stipend program for advisory boards, commissioners

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The Lacey Commission on Equity (COE) unanimously approved recommending the Advisory Board Stipend Program to the Lacey City Council.

During the commission’s meeting on Monday, April 24, Assistant City Manager Shannon Kelley-Fong discussed the feedback that she got when she introduced the program to other advisory boards.

According to Kelley-Fong, several advisory board members commented that they serve on boards because they “wanted to help the community and not because of a stipend.”

Another point raised was that the program could help lower barriers to participation in government and policymaking and increase underrepresented and unheard voices in the community.

The potential stipend program aims to offset expenses like transportation and internet access when attending city meetings. Kelley-Fong explained that the stipend amount should be $50 per meeting attended per person for regular city boards and commissions and $25 per meeting for the Youth Council, whether virtually or in-person, to be at most $500 each calendar year. 

According to the COE’s proposal, the program would apply to the following advisory boards:

-Board of Park Commissioners 

-Civil Service Commission 

-Commission on Equity 

-Historical Commission 

-Law Enforcement Officers & Fire Fighters (Disability Board) 

-Library Board 

-Planning Commission 

-Lodging Tax Committee

-Youth Council 

The program would not apply to Lacey City council members or current employees. 

At present, advisory board members serve as volunteers in the city and do not receive stipends or reimbursement, with Olympia being the only governing body in the county to provide a stipend to its advisory board members.

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