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<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> This Monday evening (12/4/06) the council will vote to change its salary </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> to $300/month ($600 for mayor).</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Salaries for towns about our size in Maryland average much more - </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> $600/month for council members and $1000 for mayor. </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> ( <a href="http://riverdale-park.org/pipermail/towntalk/2006-September/000901.html">http://riverdale-park.org/pipermail/towntalk/2006-September/000901.html</a> )</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Is that too much for Riverdale Park? </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> About 30 towns also pay insurance benefits to council members in </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> addition to a salary. We do not.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> We need a visionary council. We need to attract and keep good people</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> on the council in order to create a better town. </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> I spend 60 hours a month on council work. To do so, I cut back on </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> paid work, which is forcing me to dip into savings. Ouch. Can't keep </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> doing that, so I am cutting back on the time spent, yet it pains me to </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> put off addressing so many pressing problems.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><b><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Do you think that our council should be paid the same as other </FONT></b></div>
<div><b><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> towns our size, that is, $600/month? </FONT></b></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Too much?</FONT></div>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Please let us hear from you. </FONT></div>
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