Candidates for mayor in the Nov. 4 Anna Maria election had better not plan on a pay raise.
Despite the $10,000 annual increase to $19,600 for the mayor’s salary that commissioners approved 4-1 Sept. 24 in the final budget hearing, the increase was voted down Oct. 9.
According to Commissioner Nancy Yetter, she was told by city clerk Diane Percycoe that any budgeted increase in the mayor’s salary had to be made by ordinance, per the city charter.
Yetter voted against the ordinance to authorize the pay increase, as did Commissioner Dale Woodland. Commissioners Chuck Webb and Doug Copeland voted to approve the ordinance.
Lacking a majority vote, city attorney Jim Dye said the ordinance was defeated.
Commissioner Carol Carter, who previously had spoken in favor of the pay increase, was absent.
A motion by Webb to continue the hearing to Oct. 23 also ended in a 2-2 tie, with the same commissioners voting for or against. The continuance also was defeated.
Yetter had voted in favor of the budget at the Sept. 24 final hearing, while Woodland cast the lone vote in opposition. Yetter said she voted for the budget only to meet the Sept. 30 deadline, but never favored a pay raise for the mayor’s position.
At the Sept.10 budget hearing, Woodland voted for the budget, including the pay increase, while Webb and Yetter were absent.
“I have an ethical problem with the pay raise,” Yetter said.
Woodland said the mayor should serve at the current $9,600 annual stipend as a “public service” to the city.
Webb, however, said he was getting a little upset.
“This is below minimum wage. The mayor’s job in this city is no longer part time. It’s a full-time job and we’re paying the same as we’ve been paying since 1927,” he said.
The city was incorpoated in 1925.
“For all the hours (SueLynn) works, this pay is ridiculous,” Webb said.
Webb suggested commissioners should work with the mayor to realize how much goes into the job now, as compared to 10 years ago.
Copeland agreed. He said the job of mayor is a full-time position and he could not understand the reasoning of the two commissioners opposed to the pay raise.
He noted Holmes Beach has raised the annual salary of its mayor to $12,000.
Webb said he believed the mayor’s salary to be one of the lowest of any Florida resort town of comparable population without a city manager.
Copeland said if commissioners didn’t want to raise the mayor’s salary, the solution to get the work properly done is to hire a city manager.
“I guess that’s what I’ll propose in next year’s budget,” he said.
SueLynn was absent from the meeting, instead attending a Florida League of Cities conference in Orlando.
Yetter reiterated she had an “ethical problem” with the pay raise and was not going to change her stance. Woodland said he always opposed the pay increase, although he did approve the first reading of the budget that included the $10,000 hike.
SueLynn, who is seeking re-election, could not be reached for comment. Mayoral candidate Dan Murphy declined to comment.
In other commission business, Kevin Barile of Florida Tower Partners asked for a continuation of the hearing to grant his company a conditional-use permit to build a cell tower adjacent to city hall. He said engineering plans are not yet finalized.
The hearing was continued to Oct. 23, although resident Geoff Sugden, who lives adjacent to the tower site, proposed that commissioners consider moving the location.
“It’s a bit late in the game,” Webb responded.
Barile said his company would have to start at the beginning if the location is moved. He estimated it might take up to two years to obtain all the needed surveys and permits if commissioners changed the approved location.
“After more than two years working on this, we would be back to square one if the location were moved,” he said.
Commissioners did not vote on a new location, and the tower location will remain on the southeast corner of the property that includes city hall and the horseshoe pits at 10005 Gulf Drive.
Commissioners also agreed to meet at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 and Nov. 13 to avoid a conflict with Thanksgiving, which is Thursday, Nov. 27.
thats the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard. who in their right mind qualified works for such. whoever these people are in office voting no on such low salaries, need to step down. They have no ability for common sense. Especially in an area where they want everything priced high. shameful joke. how in the world do people elect and hire these people who can not manage properly or have any common sense or can not do math, nor use logic in decisions beats all i have ever seen
Mayor Lynn needs to work for more than $2.55 per hour. She is the only one that has continued to fight for the residents of the city. She was the one that started enforcing the laws on resort rentals. She stopped huge trucks from going down Magnolia and Spring. She started putting people in jail for loud parties. Take the money from the other commissioners and give it to her.