Letter To The Editor: Do The County Commissioners Deserve A Raise?
Clay Resident Bruce Reynolds Makes the Case for 'Yes'
Clay News & Views offers you a letter from a Clay citizen about the proposed county commissioner pay increase. The views and opinions expressed represent those of the author, not necessarily those of the Clay News & Views staff.
Many people are weighing in, and that’s great. Citizens should be involved. I can’t help wondering, though, if people are choosing sides because of the facts, or because of speculation and misinformation. Please let me explain.
I keep reading that our commissioners shouldn’t get a raise because:
They are allowing a crazy rate of growth. I am also concerned with growth. But I know that most of the new developments, especially in the Lake Asbury and Green Cove areas, were “blessed” by master plans many years before our current slate of commissioners took office. Plans that can’t be changed without developers filing lawsuits. That’s a fact.
The First Coast Expressway destroyed some pristine areas, disrupted wildlife and is spurring even more growth. But the toll road was a Florida DOT project, heavily influenced by the development lobby in Tallahassee. County Commissioners don’t control State projects. That’s a fact.
Many road construction/reconstruction projects are seemingly all taking place at once. I drive, so I am affected. But previous Boards of County Commissioners dropped the ball and failed to take advantage of grant money intended to keep up with road improvements.
The current board is “all in” on getting whatever moneys are available and playing catch-up. Yes, construction is inconvenient. But what was the alternative? Continue to ignore our roads?
Many say that “well, being a commissioner is only a part-time job”. Some speculate that commissioners only spend a few hours a week on it. But here is a fact: legislative and budget responsibilities, public safety issues, road and traffic issues, etc. take a lot of time.
Reading, preparation, getting questions answered, talking to citizens, trying to understand different points of view—it all takes time and effort.
We have many large, complex issues in our county. I’m guessing that most, if not all, of our current commissioners spend a lot of time researching, talking to constituents, consulting with county staff, and preparing for meetings. Actual hours, of course, will vary by individual, but I suspect most of them put in quite a few.
The issue isn’t whether county commissioners should be compensated. Of course they should be. The issue is how much compensation is fair. So, how do we determine what is fair? We can start by comparing Clay with other counties.
Our issues are not unique to Clay County. Other counties deal with growth, roads, public safety, environmental services, and a host of other issues. There are 67 Counties in Florida. 20 Counties (including Clay) operate under a Home Rule Charter. What do we see in head-to-head comparisons? Clay County seems to be the only County in Florida where Commissioners’ salaries have been frozen for many years. Clay County Commissioner salaries are among the lowest (and with the recent changes in Miami-Dade) may be THE lowest in Florida.
Charlotte County, with a population comparable to Clay, pays their commissioners about $87,300. Alachua County, also with a population comparable to Clay, pays their commissioners about $82,930. Liberty County —a County with only 8,500 residents, pays their commissioners about $96,922. Many counties pay their commissioners well over $100,000. These counties didn’t pull these numbers out of a hat. State law defines how those salaries should be calculated—and puts limits on them.
Clay County Commissioners have been locked in at $37,000 for many years. No cost-of-living increases. No adjustments for inflation. How would any of us feel if we had a jobwhere you could never, ever get a raise?
Let’s be real. We can complain, often with justification, about issues in our county. That is our right, and that is fair. But blaming current commissioners for previous commission actions (or lack of) isn’t fair. Keeping our commissioners among the lowest paid in Florida isn’t fair.
We are not seeing cases in Clay County like in Miami-Dade County, where a commissioner was convicted on corruption charges. Or Sumpter County, where two commissioners were charged with perjury.
Or Hillsborough County, where a commissioner was convicted for bribery, mail/wire fraud, conspiracy, and lying to the FBI. Our commissioners, while not perfect, are saints by comparison.
I believe in freedom of speech. I believe all citizens have not only the right, but the obligation to speak up. But I also believe in fairness. Being fair means basing decisions on facts, not speculation or rumors.
And based on facts, I believe our county commissioners deserve to get out of the salary basement and be compensated fairly, and in line with other counties.
—Bruce Reynolds
If you would like to submit a letter to be considered for publication, please email josh@clayviews.com