(a) (1) In any community college district that is not located in a city and county, and in which the full-time equivalent students (FTES) for the prior college year exceeded 60,000, the governing board may prescribe, as compensation for the services of each member of the board who actually attends all meetings held by the board, a sum not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) in any month.

(2) In any community college district in which the FTES for the prior college year was 60,000 or less, but more than 25,000, each member of the governing board of the district who actually attends all meetings held by the board may receive as compensation for his or her services a sum not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars ($750) in any month.

(3) In any community college district in which the FTES for the prior college year was 25,000 or less, but more than 10,000, each member of the governing board of the district who actually attends all meetings held may receive as compensation for his or her services a sum not to exceed four hundred dollars ($400) in any month.

(4) In any community college district in which the FTES for the prior college year was 10,000 or less, but more than 1,000, each member of the governing board of the district who actually attends all meetings held by the board may receive as compensation for his or her services a sum not to exceed two hundred forty dollars ($240) in any month.

(5) In any community college district in which the FTES for the prior college year was 1,000 or less, but more than 150, each member of the governing board of the district who actually attends all meetings held by the board may receive as compensation for his or her services a sum not to exceed one hundred twenty dollars ($120) in any month.

(b) Any member of a governing board who does not attend all meetings held by the board in any month may receive, as compensation for his or her services, an amount not greater than a pro rata share of the number of meetings actually attended based upon the maximum compensation authorized by this subdivision.

(c) The compensation of members of the governing board of a community college district newly organized or reorganized shall be governed by subdivision (a). For this purpose, the total FTES in all of the community colleges of the district in the college year in which the organization or reorganization became effective shall be deemed to be the FTES in the district for the prior college year.

(d) A member may be paid for any meeting when absent if the board, by resolution duly adopted and included in its minutes, finds that, at the time of the meeting, he or she is performing services outside the meeting for the community college district, he or she was ill or on jury duty, or the absence was due to a hardship deemed acceptable by the board. The compensation shall be a charge against the funds of the district.

(e) On an annual basis, the governing board may increase the compensation of individual board members beyond the limits delineated in this section, in an amount not to exceed 5 percent based on the present monthly rate of compensation. Any increase made pursuant to this section shall be effective upon approval by the governing board. The action may be rejected by a majority of the voters in that district voting in a referendum established for that purpose, as prescribed by Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 9100) of Division 9 of the Elections Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 588, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2007.)