Cost of At-Large BoE

[MattD]

There has been some great discussions about various types of BofE representation. I think the one that is receiving the most support is to get district reps and adding a few (4?) at-large seats.

Does anyone have a guess as to the additional costs associated with 4 additional members?

1. What is the cost for each elected Board member
2. How many support staff and what is their pay
3. Health benefits - 401(k) - pension etc
3. Office - desks - phones - etc
4. Manditory training - travel

I'm guessing the number is around $125,000 per new Board member. Does $1/2 million sound about right (or too high/low?)

[Brent]

Volunteers, rather than paid staff, could greatly reduce any additional cost. Changing the County Commission elections to a similar structure (split district/at-large) could offset any additional costs that might be incurred for BoE, and could enable more qualified people to run for either board (potentially).

[Wuptdo]

MattD wrote:
There has been some great discussions about various types of BofE representation. I think the one that is receiving the most support is to get district reps and adding a few (4?) at-large seats.

Matt, I believe the goal is to take four or five "district" seats and make them "at-large" and realign the remaining district seats into a larger districts. Also, I would have no problem if they wanted a smaller "F&R" district to cover South, SouthEast Raleigh, so the "F&R" crowd won't be disenfranchised. A better representative School Board, you bet, but a larger one, hell NO!

Now giving the City of Raleigh their school system back would only make life for us out here in the wilds of Wake County better. The Elitist of Raleigh can be rid of the scum from outside of the beltline, and we serfs can "self-govern" our own system. A win/win for all.

[MattD]

MattD wrote:
There has been some great discussions about various types of BofE representation. I think the one that is receiving the most support is to get district reps and adding a few (4?) at-large seats.

Matt, I believe the goal is to take four or five "district" seats and make them "at-large" and realign the remaining district seats into a larger districts. .

I was under the impression that there would be more BoE seats. Thanks for clearing this up. So there would not be any significant (if any) cost.

[chaboard]

I was under the impression that there would be more BoE seats. Thanks for clearing this up. So there would not be any significant (if any) cost.

You mean aside from the *indirect* cost of giving big money special interests who WILL want a payback of some sort a bigger say in the elections, right? ;)

[JoeCiulla]

Unfortunately, I think this is a moot point now. The Dems retain a 6-3 majority among state representatives. I think there would have been a chance of the Republicans reducing that majority to 5-4 without the Obama-effect, but still not enough to get this passed. And now we have a Democratic majority of CC's as well.

I am still wondering what the Dems will do now that they have an even stronger hold on governing Wake County. Stan complained about at-large elections for CC all the way until election day. Stan, Jennifer Weiss and Deborah Ross have all stated that at-large elections violate the Voting Rights Act. They are now in a majority position to convert CC elections to district-based voting, thus gaining legal compliance. Will they do the "right thing" now?