DATE: Wednesday, July 2, 1997               TAG: 9707020543

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MATTHEW BOWERS, Staff Writer 

DATELINE: SUFFOLK                           LENGTH:   46 lines

DIVIDED SUFFOLK SCHOOL BOARD VOTES TO RAISE MEMBERS' SALARIES

Keep the same School Board chairman and vice chairman? Fine.

Continue meeting monthly on the second Thursdays at 7 p.m.? No problem.

Raise School Board salaries to the new maximum allowed by the General Assembly? Hold on a minute.

In a rare split vote, the School Board voted 5-2 Tuesday to raise its members' salaries to $3,500 a year, a 75 percent increase from the current $2,000 a year. The re-elected chairman, Mark A. Croston, will continue to receive an extra $500 for his responsibilities, or $4,000 total.

Board member Frances L. Alwood opposed raising the salaries to the maximum, arguing that if they were going to raise them at all, they should consider a lesser amount this year, such as $2,500. Other school employees received an average 4 percent raise in the new budget passed this spring.

Fellow member William L. Whitley was more blunt. ``Question: Do you have to take the increase?'' he asked.

The board's attorney said board members could give the money back to the school system, but it would still count, for tax purposes, as income and a donation.

The raise passed with no comment from supporters.

The issue pitted the competing interests of civic duty and serving one's community against those of fairly compensating fellow citizens doing public work involving many more than the one regular meeting a month, plus countless appearances at school suppers and Parent-Teacher Association programs.

Alwood and Whitley voted against the raise.

The board, however, agreed with a recommendation by Superintendent Joyce H. Trump to keep the mileage reimbursement at 24 cents a mile, but to consider raising it next year to the state-allowed maximum of 27 cents a mile.

The annual stipend for School Board Clerk JoAnne D. Miltier was raised $200, or 7 percent, to $3,000.

Recently, the School Board agreed to give Trump a 6 percent, or $4,775, raise to $84,360. Including her car allowance, insurance, retirement, dues and other benefits, Trump's total compensation package is valued at $121,052.

Re-elected vice chairman at the annual organizational meeting was Calvin W. Jones. The chairman and vice chairman serve one-year terms in those positions. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Croston KEYWORDS: SUFFOLK SCHOOL BOARD SALARY

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