West Palm Beach had their budget workshop on Tuesday. One of the big suggestions that came out of it was--reduce top paid employee salaries and even reduce one of the benefits they get as city commissioners. Their commissioners make $30,000 a year and get $5,000 for secretarial help as well as $5,000 for a car allowance. They opted to get rid of their secretarial help. It pays to be a city commissioner in West Palm Beach.
Commissioner Materio said that both she and her husband took a 50% cut in their pay and they reduced all their employees salaries by 10%. “The differences between the salaries here and in the private sector are huge,” Materio said.
Next month there will be two special meetings to finally set the Budget for 2012/2013 in Lake Worth. As far as I recall, there has not been any mention of reducing executive personnel salaries here. Stanton had mentioned it during her tenure but nothing came of it. Benefits for our under paid commission have gone up 64.49%, from $19,269 to $31,695. Travel and Training is at $30,000 for the new year. That is something they can and should eliminate.
It is really the union salaries and benefits, of which we have no control, that are killing this city.
I guess you must have missed the discussion during the Budget Workshops of which you attended. The Commission instructed the City Budget Director and City Manager to reduce the Travel and Training line item to $15,000 (down from $30,000). Also, to have the funds in one line item not two.
ReplyDeleteNow let's clearly look at the Benefits. The increase is mostly for Health and Life Insurance. The increase is $10,836 over last year or $2,167.20 per Commission member. Remember now that each Commission member who wants the Health Insurnance pays a very high monthly premium. It is by no means a free ride. The remaining $1,238 is the non-controllable WorkMans Comp. The increase in benefits totals $12,251.
I agree with you that the Executive salaries should be looked at but you have to remember that all were granted hugh raises by the preious administration. Reviewing the contracts of the executives does take time.
T.
Thanks for all the info. I must have missed that meeting or cut out early. The $30,000 is still in the proposed budget.
ReplyDelete