Organization Matters

[RefCT]

In CT, all officials are members of the local IAABO board that serves the town where they reside. If you work in a different area and want to officiate there, you have to become a dual member and still have the board serving your home town as your home board. There are many officials that belong to their home board and officiate for a different board through the dual membership option.

All the local boards report to the state board, who works closely with the CIAC (manages high school athletics in CT). Our fees are the same throughout the state and (I think) tied to the COL adjustment teachers negotiate through collective bargaining (or something like that - Billy probably knows more on this aspect). So, basically, every year, we usually get a small increase in the game fee.

All the board have commissioners that assign all the games for schools that board serves.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RefCT

In CT, all officials are members of the local IAABO board that serves the town where they reside. If you work in a different area and want to officiate there, you have to become a dual member and still have the board serving your home town as your home board. There are many officials that belong to their home board and officiate for a different board through the dual membership option.

In some parts of Connecticut, it's becoming more difficult to live in one assigning area (usually by county) and officiate in another assigning area. Thirty years ago it was very common to be such a "dual" member, which allowed an official who lives in one area to officiate games in another area; where he works, where he grew up, where he first started officiating, where he went to college, etc. That's starting to change. My local board no longer allows "dual" members, other than those who have been grandfathered in. If you want to officiate in my little corner of Connecticut, you must reside in my little corner of Connecticut. I don't believe that it's a statewide policy, but rather, is handled by each local board.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RefCT

All the local boards report to the state board, who works closely with the CIAC (manages high school athletics in CT). Our fees are the same throughout the state, tied to the COL adjustment teachers negotiate through collective bargaining ... So, basically, every year, we usually get a small increase in the game fee.

RefCT is correct, with one caveat. Due to decreasing State educational subsidies to local school systems, the IAABO State board, and the CIAC, have agreed that officials will not be getting a fee increase next year. I guess I'll have to go back to officiating croquet to make up for the income shortfall due to inflation.

(Note: Game fees for 2016-17: Varsity fee: $94.63; Subvarsity fee: $61.39)

[ODog]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

(Note: Game fees for 2016-17: Varsity fee: $94.63; Subvarsity fee: $61.39)

Apologies for going off-topic, but this thread seems already settled and/or dying, so ... Billy, why do you always post those game fees as if that's what you guys actually get? Always makes it seem a lot more impressive than it actually is (even though it still ends up being very high on the national scale regardless).

Isn't there a fairly significant percentage that comes right off the top in the form of a kickback to your assignor, or is it on the officials to send that money along themselves after they're paid the full fee by the schools?

[RefCT]

The local boards charge a certain % as an "assigning fee". On my board, it is 7% of the total fees for commissioner assigned games. From that 7%, there a some that goes to the commissioner and the rest goes to the board coffers. I believe my commissioner gets 3% and the board 4%.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ODog

... game fees as if that's what you guys actually get ... officials to send that money along themselves after they're paid the full fee by the schools

The schools actually send me a check (or Arbiter transfers funds into my checking account) for $94.63.

At the end of the season I pay an assignment fee of 7% that goes into our local board's general fund, not directly to our assignment commissioner, who receives an annual salary ($32,550.00, seventy schools, 350 members) from our board regardless of how many games he assigns. I also have to pay annual local board dues of $125.00, and of course, Uncle Sam eventually gets income taxes (after deducting mileage, dues, fees, insurance, uniforms, shoes, equipment, laundry, etc.), and social security contributions.