City OKs ballot language for commissioners' pay raise

In March, Sarasota city commissioners set into motion a referendum that would raise their pay from $29,000 a year to more than $44,000. During Tuesday’s City Commission meeting, they wrote into an ordinance and set forth the language for the referendum to appear on the ballot in November’s general election.

The salary paid to city commissioners is established by the city charter, and although Florida statute does address compensation for county commissioners, it is silent on the matter of those elected to city government, City Attorney Robert Fournier told commissioners.

City charter specifies the salary for commissioners is two-thirds of that paid to a county commissioner of a Florida county in the same population group as the city. In March, commissioners heard a recommendation by the city’s Charter Review Committee that commissioners be paid $42,000 a year and suggested a salary of $45,000 a year for the mayor. Compensation would then be raised by 2% each year thereafter.

“The City Commission accepted the general recommendation for an increase in commissioner salaries, who did decide to modify the recommendation slightly,” Fournier said. “The City Commission directed that the ordinance placing the proposed increase on the ballot be worded so that instead of commissioners getting two-thirds of the salary that a county commissioner for a county in the same population group would be paid, that it be increased to 100% of that amount. But it would be the same for all five commissioners, including the mayor.”

That adjustment amounts to $44,643 a year for all five commissioners.  Further, commissioners directed that the annual adjustment increment be eliminated and that the compensation be addressed in 10 years by a subsequent Charter Review Committee.

The salary numbers for the referendum established, the conversation turned to word count. Per Florida statute, local charter amendments are subject to a 75-word limit on the ballot and not more than 15 words in the title.

Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch suggested Fournier, in preparing the referendum language, edit one confusing passage that may be interpreted that city commissioners presently make $44,643. In addition, Koch added, some voters may read it as though the city commissioners would be paid the same amount as members of the Sarasota County Commission and not a county board that has a similar population to the city of Sarasota.

Sarasota county commissioners receive $47,008 a year.

Remove a prepositional clause here, add a verb there and Fournier said he still had about 23 words with which to play to craft the final language for the referendum.

When the pay increase would take effect, if approved, is currently not prescribed in the ballot language. According to the city charter, if not otherwise specified, amendments approved by the voters via referendum become effective 30 days after the election.

“I think, though, in this case I should consult with our Human Resources department and cite the date that would be at the beginning of the first pay period after the expiration of 30 days from the ordinance, so I would like to make that change so that we hit the precise date of the start of a pay period.”

Commissioners approved the language of the referendum with suggested changes 4-0, with Commissioner Hagen Brody absent.