To the Editor:

I am not in favor of Mr. John Lanni, the council president, wanting to put into the budget a stipend of $3,000 per board member of the Cranston Finance Tax Assessment Board of Review who, by the way, wrote in favor of the now defeated Phenix Lodge project in the Cranston Herald, and Mr. Lanni wants to start this in the new fiscal year July 1. As a government body, it should not have taken sides at all, but remain neutral since they serve all the city, not just one favored group, but that’s neither here or there. The idea of paying stipends to a part-time board is foolish at a time when the city just got a reprieve from Mayor Fung by not raising city taxes (for whatever reason). The money that the city does receive from Cranston taxpayers, like myself, should go for maintaining current city services and expenses, and not for salaries of a part-time board. And I ask myself, is Mr. Lanni starting a precedent, one of paying the part-time finance board, soon to be followed by other part-time boards like Planning or Zoning wanting to receive stipends, too? And, can you blame them? This is taxpayers’ money Lanni is playing with. To use Cranston taxpayer money for stipends is not a good idea. And I don’t believe the residents or constituents of Cranston even know this is happening, thus the reason for my letter: to make Cranstonians aware of such a move. I do not believe part-time boards should be getting paid. There are good people who would be willing to serve for nothing. And part-time boards in other cities/towns are not paid. I find, in many instances, that candidates for these jobs are tripping over themselves to get onto these boards and commissions because it makes them feel high and mighty, or it is a first step to something greater. Then they exaggerate their importance and want to get paid. Stipends can influence the board’s votes – they choose who gets tax breaks and who doesn’t. It becomes subjective. So why even consider creating a temptation where money, which often leads to greed, replaces one’s civic duty? There are no high qualifications even set as criteria for these part-time boards. The whole idea is for people to want to serve their city altruistically and not serve for pay or a stipend! I say keep it the way it is: no stipends. There are other needed uses for this money. Salaries are NOT one of them. We want people serving because they want to serve, not for the money they can get. So let us not start any precedents by paying stipends to part-time boards.

Jo Ann Fonseca

Cranston