No stipend for you
One-man school board decides to strip payments from former members

By RICK CONRAD
Education Reporter

He took over their jobs and now he’s taken away their pay.

Howard Windsor, whom Education Minister Karen Casey tapped in December to replace the 13 elected members of the Halifax regional school board, stripped them Monday of their annual stipends.

"It wasn’t necessarily an easy decision to make," Mr. Windsor said.

"I wanted to make sure that first of all the legal authority did exist. It seems to me that since the authority and responsibilities of the board had been taken away by the minister and placed with a new board, that there was no need to provide a stipend."

Mr. Windsor said the board’s lawyers told him he could take the step under section 54(7) of the Education Act. That clause essentially says a school board can set its remuneration and reimbursement as long as it doesn’t exceed a maximum amount recommended by an arm’s-length committee that reviews members’ stipends every four years.

But the act is silent on minimums, which apparently can be set at zero if the board — now Mr. Windsor — decides that’s what they should be.

The annual cost of the stipends was $118,000, according to the board. Regular members got $8,200, the vice-chairperson got $10,000 and the chairperson $13,500. The decision takes effect Wednesday. That money will stay in the board, Ms. Casey said.

"I’m sure there will be some disappointment at first, but I hope they ultimately understand the logic of the decision," Mr. Windsor said of the former board members.

That understanding might be scarce among some.

"No, you don’t want to know what I think," Deborah Brunt, who represented Timberlea-Prospect, said Monday. "I guess that’s his opinion and we’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?"

Ms. Brunt said she believes the Education Act allows a review of stipends only every four years.

"I believe that Mr. Windsor is overstepping his authority," she said. "I think that Mr. Windsor should be doing what he was put there to do, which was to take care of the board for the next two years.

"I don’t think he should be getting involved in the politics and I believe he’s going into a slippery slope."

Ms. Brunt said some of the former members are "still considering our options" about whether to sue the province or the board over the decision to fire them.

But she’ll still attend meetings and she continues to represent her constituents, she said.

"Well, I am still a board member. . . . I’m still the representative of the people. I was elected by the people, I’m accountable to the people and I will be at board meetings and I will let the people in my district know what is going on in board meetings."

A former colleague of Ms. Brunt’s said he believes she may have a point about Mr. Windsor’s authority to rule on stipends.

But Gin Yee, elected to represent Dartmouth Centre-Albro Lake, said it’s time to move on.

"I was going to give the money back anyway," he said.

"We were relieved of our duties. I don’t think I’m entitled to my entitlements. So on a personal level, there’s no change (for) me."

Ms. Casey said she supports Mr. Windsor’s decision.

"I can tell you there was certainly a lot of public opinion and public comment about it and people asked a fair question, should we continue to use taxpayers’ dollars to compensate members who no longer have authority or responsibility within the Halifax board?"

As for Mr. Windsor’s compensation, Ms. Casey said he and the department are close to coming to terms. When that happens, the details will be released, she said.

(rconrad@herald.ca)

Source: The Herald, January 30, 2007
http://www.herald.ca