Including the car allowance,
The mayor will be making $35,500 and each commissioner $30,500 a year for part-time work. We've come a long way, baby.
Under normal circumstances, an employee asks his boss for a raise. But public servants who make the decision to serve for the greater good (it's not supposed to be about the money), go to their employee to intercede on their behalf. It would just look too crass to vote yourself in a whopping raise but if your city manager is telling all of us how wonderful you all are, then it can be justified.
City Manager Michael Bornstein talked for ten minutes on why the mayor and commissioners deserved a raise---it's for all the things they do. He said, "The job is like being on a board of directors of a major corporation." After having worked for two public corporations, I know what boards of directors do--they go along with anything their executives want as long as it's for the greater good of the company. In our case, we are spending more than we are bringing in during this new budget. Managing the city in a deficit is never a good decision. And these raises aren't even in the budget.
Commissioner McVoy argued that the duties really hadn't changed that much. Andy Amoroso said that the job position does change and it depends on the person holding the position. Actually, some commissioners have the opportunity if they own their own business and can make arrangements to travel here or there for the League of Cities LGBTLO or whatever and get off from work to attend ribbon cuttings, etc.
Salary creep is a phenomenon and it's happening more and more in city governments for elected officials who feel they deserve a better salary or a full time salary for part-time work. They know going in that their salaries are low and do not compensate for the time and effort and energy that is devoted as the job is public service for part-time work. It's a self-justifying dip into the cookie jar but this time their employee, city manager Michael Bornstein did the dirty work for them. He is up for a review in January for his own salary increase.
When you can vote on increases for yourself of 68.9% for commissioners and a 90.32% for the mayor, you have to wonder who this Trio is working for as they just raised taxes on everyone in this city and even spent money sending out mailers on the bond issue. (It took them years to finally give the employees a 4% raise). On top of their salary increase, they get an additional $6,000 a year for a car allowance. Perhaps relief should go to the taxpayers before any rewards are showered on the mayor and commission, not to mention all the benefits. So, including the $6,000 a year car allowance, the mayor will be making $35,500 and each commissioner $30,500, what it takes their average constituent to make in one year doing full time work..
The quote of the night was from Commissioner Andy Amoroso: "I bust my butt for the people of this city and I'm happy to do it." Obviously he isn't that happy as he voted in the raise for himself. The vote was 3/2 with McVoy and Maier dissenting.
I like that, salary creep. The creeps voted it in.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sin, and to think this city will not hire anyone new, only all part time, 29 hours a week with no benefits, but then they try to get people to work more, and expect their employees to be beholding to them whenever they need them to come into work, but will not give them any benefits at all. So now the commissioners and mayor make more than all the hard working city employees. There is no logic to this other than greed. Greed and complete incompetence. Yes, Scott, I am moving!
ReplyDeleteI will never vote for any of these three again, I don't even want to look at them, speak to them, go into their businesses, nothing, I cannot stand them now!
ReplyDeleteYou know, the greed and busting his butt for the people by andy is all going to cause him greater illness, I would not be surprised if all three of them get really sick, or die of really bad infirmities as they are causing their own nasty health problems by the way they are behaving, all very sad to hear Lynn. The bullying from them is just appalling. It is funny, many used to like them before they were elected, and now almost everyone hates them. Do you recall what Bo Allen said his last day in office? How he was despised by all now, when you see him around town, he has such real health problems, he walks around looking very sore and injured and beat up. It is all going to haunt them like it does Bo Allen. I saw a quote today on something in a thrift store and it said, "it is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice." None of this trio is ever going to go down as being nice nor important, they are going to live in infamy of being nasty, greedy, corrupt politicians. How sad!
ReplyDeleteIs Bo Allen still alive? I thought he was dead! I guess it's true- only the good die young.
ReplyDeleteBo is still around, he sells houses here, he looks sickly though, he is hunched over, looks weak, and like he is in pain when he walks or moves, he does not look healthy at all. He was nice when he first started out here, then the commission job changed him into and evil monster like andy now has become. How sad for both of them.
ReplyDeleteYou know, Pam and Scott are supposed to be Christians and Catholics, but you would not know it by the way they behave and treat people at the comm. meetings. They are not very nice and BIG bullies, literally big big big bullies! We all need to pray for them.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they would ever take the time to say a rosary?
Do you have any idea how long ago Bo was a LW Commissioner? It's ancient history. I only wish 1/10th of the residents of this town would keep their properties like Bo Allen does. It's called pride of ownership you pigs, with the weeds growing over your house and your old beat up truck pulled up close to the house as if to advertise your ignorance. Bo Allen wanted to make something of this town. But all of you animals preferred to wallow in pot holes and garbage. Now, as they say, you've got the government in Lake Worth that you deserve. Live with it!
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