The Breckenridge Town Council should strongly consider paying members of the Social Equity Advisory Commission.
I applaud the efforts the council is making to ensure that the commission has a diverse composition. Councilwoman Erin Gigliello’s suggestion to hold the meeting outside typical working hours is a good one.
Even more important is to compensate board members for their time and effort. Too often, members of minorities and disadvantaged groups are expected to work for free to educate us, the uninformed majority, on top of the work that they already do for their jobs, their families and their communities. One of the strongest ways for the council and the town to show that they are serious about this initiative and its stated purpose is to provide fair pay for the value that participants are providing.
Paying community members for the work they do on the commission starts this initiative off on the right foot.