I read the recent article covering the most current Dickinson County Board meeting and was taken aback by one of the items reported. The topic was related to the discussion of, and voting on, board pay. The issue to me is not that the board considered raises, but the comments by one of the supporting board members, Commissioner Barbara Kramer. Commissioner Kramer rolled out the overused statement that the pay, considering when all the commitments are taken into account, might equate to $2 per hour.

In working and consulting with boards in many jurisdictions, I have heard this repeated many times. My advice to those board members was, as it is to Commissioner Kramer, that before making this comment to remember why you wanted to be a board member originally and then at least do the math supporting the comment.

Commissioner Kramer, with a long history of community and board service, likely ran for the board originally because she had a cause, a purpose or a strong interest in serving her community. She should be commended for this. It is the same reason most individuals join charities or community boards — not to get rich, but to make a difference.

Related to her math, considering her current pay, at her stated $2 per hour, it has her spending 1,800 hours annually, 34.6 hours weekly or almost five hours every day of the year on her role. If true, this is an awesome and surprising level of public service, even for a commissioner focused on finance and economic development. If she was referring to the new pay she voted for, then the time spent is much higher.

My counsel to all board members is to account for your actual hours spent, by task, so you can support such claims. Also, remember that you are part of a governing board. You are not a member of management, there is a staff, and you should direct accordingly.

Finally, if the comment was made in jest, in a public meeting, I suggest a bit of restraint next time.