Data from a public record request submitted by tallahasseereports.com to the City of Gainesville indicates that there is a significant disparity between the cash benefits of the elected leaders in Gainesville and Tallahassee.
The City of Gainesville has a Mayor and six City Commissioners who work part-time. The Mayor makes $39,000 a year and the City Commissioners make $30,000. None of the elected officials have a car allowance and none have a sole employer paid deferred compensation plan.
The elected officials in Gainesville have access to the same set of benefits provided to City of Tallahassee employees. These benefits include various pension and insurance choices for those eligible.
Given these facts, a comparison of annual compensation for a part-time City Commissioner in Tallahassee and Gainesville is provided below:
| Tallahassee | Gainesville | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Salary | $36,000 | $30,000 |
| Car Allowance | $3,000 | $0 |
| Deferred Comp | $21,000 | $1,800 (Est.) |
| Total | $60,000 | $31,800 |
COT Commissioners Make More Than Gainesville Counterparts added by Staff on
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The defense that it will keep corruption low is just audacious. “If you don’t pay me more I’ll embezzle”? And this guy gets re-elected?
This city desperately needs some oppositional voices. I realize it’s a Democratic city, so they should be the majority, but I really think the government would benefit from having two Republicans to at least rabble rouse. This free-rein stuff isn’t working.
“Well I just heard Comm. Gilliam (on the Morning Show) state that the deferred comp was needed to keep the possibilities low for corruption.
That is the very definition of corruption Comm Gilliam. Voting yourself a $21,000 raise so that you are making $60,000 for a PART time job.
—–until the time arrives, when the citizens not only on the local level, but state and federal levels, decide to demand our elected officials to be answerable to their actions—-they will continue to do as they please.
Tell me again (in light of,for example,Katz’s unethical behavior), how this super compensation keeps corruption at bay.
If we had a mayor like Gainesville (for which I’ve publicly wished)I would gladly support Tallahassee’s level of compensation.
She’s smart, forward thinking,(instituted the system for compensating individuals for home-generated electricity)has a PE rather than a LLD, and does not invoke the image of a TV rerun dry cleaner.
The whole of our city government is ridiculous.
This does not surprise me given the fact that they want to increase the property taxes.
The City has long had a policy (as do most government entities) of a use it or lose it. Therefore, rather than living within their means, as we all have to do, they go ahead and spend it and then attempt to recoup the monies from the people.
If there are any people that really believe that those commissioners put in a full work week (or part week as the case may be) then they are sorely mistaken.
Staffing continues to increase, and as was reported recently that there is a possibility of layoffs at the City, it will be sure to be those that are the lowest and work rather than those that are getting paid for a 40 hour week but doing 20 to 30 hours of work.
Well I just heard Comm. Gilliam (on the Morning Show) state that the deferred comp was needed to keep the possibilities low for corruption. Gainesville must be wrought with it since they only get about 10% of what our commissioners get.