Some Shenango Township supervisors will get three times as much for attending meetings next year.

Supervisors Monday voted to raise the salaries of supervisors elected or re-elected this year and in the future from $25 per meeting to approximately $78 per meeting for a maximum salary of $1,871 annually.

According to Supervisor Chair Larry Robinson, who was the sole dissenter, the extra money will come from the township's general fund.

"When it was decided to have five supervisors, it was said it wasn't going to cost the township extra money. Well, just adding two more supervisors would cost the township more money. Now we have a raise on top of that," he said. In 2001, township residents voted to expand the board from three to five seats.

But Supervisor William F. Williams Sr. thinks the pay hike is a small price to pay for the "thankless job" supervisors do.

"If you do the running and do the job you're supposed to do, what you get at the end of the year doesn't even cover your gas money, especially the way gas prices go today," Williams said.

The pay increase will only apply to supervisors elected or re-elected this year and in the future, Williams said. Two supervisor positions are on the ballot this year. Williams' and Corrine "Keenie" Mason Harrison's terms will be up at the end of the year.

"No one wants to see any more costs to the township, but it's not for anybody who's in office now," Williams said.

He added a pay raise might encourage more people to run for office. "If a little more money will entice someone to run, then we should do it," he said.

Supervisors voting for the raises were: Richard Flack, Charles Gilliland, Mrs. Mason Harrison and Williams.

Robinson said he made about $600 last year at $25 per meeting for 24 meetings last year.

At that rate, paying five supervisors would cost the township $3,000 a year. Under the new pay scale, it will cost the township $5,542 to pay supervisors for the next two years. That figure will increase in future years when more supervisor positions turn over due to elections. Eventually, when the rate applies to all five supervisors, the township's cost will be $9,355.

"Most of the other communities are already at that limit," said Robinson, referring to the maximum pay scale for local officials.

"Its nice to get that extra money, because there's a lot of headaches involved with this job. But we're also elected to do a job and to do what's best for the community."

The pay raise would not go into effect until next January.