WOODBRIDGE — Prince William County Parks and Recreation Commissioners will now have their compensation tied to attendance.
The county Board of Supervisors voted to withhold commissioners’ $400 monthly compensation if they don’t attend the regularly scheduled monthly meetings. The move comes after some commissioners missed multiple meetings over the past three years and still collected a paycheck.
The absences, county officials said, led to the commission being unable to do conduct business due to a lack of a quorum.
“This is the only group that does this,” said Potomac District Supervisor Maureen Caddigan. “They get people who don’t show up and it’s not fair.”
Of the 77 boards and commissions in Prince William County, Parks and Recreation Commissioners are the second-highest paid to board members behind members of the Planning Commission and Service Authority whose members receive $800 per month.
Not all members of boards and commissions are compensated. In addition to the parks and planning commissions, and the Service Authority, members of the following groups are compensated:
- Board of Equalization
- Cherry Hill Community Development authority
- Community Services Board
- Fairfax County Water Authority
- Heritage Hunt Commercial Community Development Authority
- Historical Commission
- Industrial Development Authority
- Jail Board
- Manses Airport Board
- Architectural Review Review Board
- Board of Equalization
- Social Services Advisory Board
- Upper Occoquan Service Authority
During her time on the parks commission year, former Woodbridge District member Zoe Vitter missed every meeting. Meetings in January and March were canceled due to inclement weather.
In 2017, Vitter was absent for four of 12 meetings held that year and five of 12 meetings held in 2016.
The June 2018 meeting was her last. Afterward, Vitter stepped down from the commission and took a job as Senior Aide to Woodbridge District Supervisor Frank Principi.
Vitter still serves in that role, according to county spokesman Jason Grant. Vitter or Principi did not return requests for comment for this story.
When it comes to other absences in 2018, Commissioners Jeff Bergman and Victoria Cole-Rohlon have missed two meetings. In 2017 Commissioners George Delimba and Brian Vargo missed three meetings.
In 2016, Delimba missed four meetings, while Vargo and Bergman each missed three.
Shannon Jaenicke, who processes payroll for the parks commissions, says all have taken their pay whether they attended or not.
“They have all been paid for the past 24 months,” Jaenicke told Potomac Local in an email.
The vote by the Board of Supervisors on November 20 cemented the $400 per month compensation for commissioners making it an official part of the group’s bylaws.
At that same meeting prior to the vote, Principi said attendance policies like these “need to be equitable for all commissions.”
Gainesville District Supervisor Peter Candland agreed and supported Chairman At-large Corey Stewart’s call for a “long overdue” audit of all county boards and commissions.
“We need to the give the County Executive (Christopher Martino) direction that this is the type of policy — if we’re going to require attendance for a committee, that needs to be the policy of all like committees,” said Candland.
Occoquan District Supervisor Ruth Anderson acknowledged that while some members of boards and commissions to work for board outside of the regularly scheduled meeting, she said it’s important to for members to attend so that the body can make policy decisions that pertain to that respective board or commission.
Updated
Zoe Vitter is no longer employed by the Prince William County Government as of Nov. 21, according to an email from spokesman Jason Grant sent to Potomac Local on Friday, Nov. 30.
