This Wednesday the City Commission will vote to take another step towards placing a referendum on the 2024 general election ballot asking City electors to decide whether the City Charter should be amended to raise the salary of the members of the City Commission.
In my view, this is a bad idea.
But first the politics.
Mayor John Dailey and City Commissioners Curtis Richardson & Dianne Williams-Cox voted for the referendum, while City Commissioners Jeremy Matlow & Jack Poter voted no.
However, in 2020 Commissioner Matlow supported a referendum for a 100% pay raise.
Matlow said then, “A reasonable, modest wage commensurate with the volume of work local Commissioners perform would allow for independence & full attention to working for the public — not seeing public service as a side job while earning a living from other sources which may cause conflicts.”
Now, Matlow says he will not support a city commission pay raise due to the stalled salary negotiations between the firefighters and the City of Tallahassee.
If the negotiations get resolved before November does this mean Matlow will then support the referendum? Who knows?
Bottom line, most people want a pay raise even if they don’t go on record asking for it. And remember, commissioners that vote against the pay raise referendum will still get the increase if the referendum passes.
A Bad Idea
Three reasons why asking for a 100% raise is a bad idea.
First, asking voters to approve a 100% pay raise in an economic climate when people are having financial difficulties on a number of different fronts makes it seem like our leaders are not in touch with the real world.
In addition, the property tax increase adopted last year with the more recent news about a city general fund deficit will surely irritate citizens.
Second, most working people can’t relate to a 100% increase in salary without added responsibilities and other requirements.
Will each city commissioner still be allowed to spend $70,000-$90,000 a year on aide or will the salary increase result in an elected official shouldering more of the constituent services work load?
Also, at $90,000 a year, can some commissioners choose to treat it as a part-time job and still maintain another full time job?
These scenarios, and many more, are not addressed in the proposal.
And third, the proposed increase will make the office more about money than about serving the community. In my view, the current salary is not a deterrent for service oriented people.
In fact, I think the more relevant deterrent these days is the personal attacks people have to deal with when running for office.
What can you do?
If this an important issue for you, the city commission allows citizens to provide comments in person at the meeting.
The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 3:00 P.M. at City Hall, 2nd Floor, City Commission Chambers.
You can also provide comments during the meeting via video conference; register before 9pm on April 23, 2024 at www.talgov.com/citizeninput.
If you prefer email, you can email city elected officials here.
Stewart: City Commission Pay Raise is a Bad Idea added by Staff on
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When do I get to vote for the city to do less?
@ Jeremy Matlow… no deal, huh?… thought so. I rest my case.
You can fool some of the people some of the time, your malleable minions most of the time… but the informed always have your number.
“Matlow said then, “A reasonable, modest wage commensurate with the volume of work local Commissioners perform would allow for independence & full attention to working for the public — not seeing public service as a side job while earning a living from other sources which may cause conflicts.”” ……………… Says the man that owns THREE Pizza Places. You can’t put your full attention to working for the public AND run a Corporation too.
Wow, $140K for a COT Bootlicker job?
Where do I apply?
Anyone who thinks our property taxes are not sky high, please justify that expenditure.
The Northeast should DE-ANNEX, shutting off the money spigot, and the rest of the town offer itself up to be annexed by Kalifornia.
Diane Williams Cox has complained repeatedly about the pay. she motioned beyond what staff recommended to raise city kommissioner pay to double. Salaries for some of these people are ridiculous on exec side Dailey’s aide Thomas Whitley now makes $140,000 at a soft nonessential dept.
Jeremy is only ever performing for his crowd. Jeremy doesn’t care what any of us are saying about him as long as people are saying his name. Jeremy is not brave, but he is reckless. It’s all fake. Jeremy’s aide is in a glass reflection with the WTXL crew. It is so deeply cynical. Jeremy claims “I’m just telling it like it is” but he is just playing it up cause he knows it will draw a crowd. Jeremy is a political product that is interested in drawing the biggest crowd that he can. It’s emotional rubber necking. And his crowd is driving by a burning car on the freeway and have no intention of helping. They only wants to see the blaze. Jeremy and Ryan are perverting the human spectacle. And it’s all our fault. Shame on WTXL.
Raising commissioners pay ranks right up there with “Joe Biden for President” at the top of a list of dumb ideas. And I don’t care if Jackie and lil’ Jeremy voted against it, they are probably the two least likeable people I know of. Being likeable goes a long way…
No one is talking about the $40,000+ they already receive as allowances, tax free, for their cars, meals, pension, life/medical insurance, etc. etc. etc.
The fact that a full-time firefighter makes less than a part-time commissioner is very telling about how the comms are out of touch with all of us.
Anyone whom is truly a moderate would not ever threaten to vote for another progressive member of the city commission. Should the two progressives already on the city commission gain a third progressive socialist leaning vote Tallahassee would quickly learn just how bad socialism really is! Power corrupts. Total power corrupts totally!
We should have a referendum on the ballot to lower their salaries. Then they, too, can feel the effects of Bidenflation.
If we pay Porter more then she may stop charging her personal expendatures on the City’s Credit Cards. So theres that……
OkOk, admittedly, that was kind of rough. So, I’ll make you a deal right here and now. If both you and Porter wish to be taken at your word on this.. then…
Both you and Porter make public a statement both here on TR and at your next public Commission meeting… that if the raise referendum passes, you will both donate the increase above your current taxpayer funded salary – annually and in perpetuity commensurate with your terms on the Commission – to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation… in a show of complete and sincere support for the brave men and women, and their families, who put their lives on the line each and every day to protect and defend us.
Do that… and I will donate to your respective campaigns, waive signs for you both, and vote for you both.
Deal?
Save it Pizza Boy… both of you Pro-Hamas Progressives voted against the tax increase, the budget deficit, and the pay raise referendum because you knew the votes were there to pass them. And don’t even try to pretend that either of you give a rats’ behind about our LEOs or Firefighters.
You can fool some of the people some of the time, your malleable minions most of the time… but the informed always have your number.
Here we agree, Steve.
This is not the time to raise commissioner pay.
Jack Porter and I voted against the tax increase, the budget deficit and a pay raise for Commissioners all while firefighters are offered less than we are paid now.
There is a cloud over city hall and common sense folks must band together. Brighter days are ahead!
Curtis Richardson should have voted No on this and it would be over. I’ll vote for his opponent instead