'Compensation commentaries'
By Bari Auerbach

Prior to the Charter Revision election held June 10, 2003, members of the Sunny Isles Beach Charter Revision Commission discussed the issue of compensation for the city's mayor and commissioners, during which time the following commentaries were proffered:

Martin Livingston, member of former Charter Revision Commission:
"It looks to me like we are truly in a minority as a town that does not pay its elected officials anything. Of the eight [cities] in our own population grouping between 11-20,000 only two of them have no compensation and we're one of them (as of last year).

"The average salary [for elected officials] in cities is about $22,000 - half also have a car allowance for a mayor and one quarter have it for commissioner; 62 percent have expense accounts for mayors and commissioners; and half have health insurance.One of the things we have to realize, in my opinion, is the fact that we're a growing city and it appears to be that our commissioners work a heck of a lot harder than an average volunteer would.

"If we want to get away from the concept of being a 'big condo' - we should have very able and competent professionals [serving on the Commission] and receiving salaries. I think that the commissioners should be compensated for the fact that they serve as a board of directors so to speak of a city that's growing substantially.and with the amount of money being handled each year (last year revenues totaled approximately $2.7 billion) it's going no where but up.

"I lean towards not giving our [elected officials in Sunny Isles Beach] any less than commissioners in Aventura because they are more of an established city and we are more of a 'work in progress.'"

Maryann Eicke, member of former Charter Revision Commission:
"I believe Aventura's mayor receives $10,000 and commissioners receive $7,500 [annually].I also looked at all of the [other city] charters we've been given and.I think not having some kind of compensation will limit the ability of some people within our community to be able to serve. If you have to miss days of work to come to some of the daytime [Commission] meetings, you start taking salaries away.Sometimes you can't afford to be a commissioner - so some type of compensation [should be given for the] numerous hours [elected officials] have to spend on agenda items."

Irving Diamond, member of former Charter Revision Commission:
"I agree our mayor and commissioners should be compensated. The average salary for a mayor [in Miami-Dade] is $22,000 but there are two cities paying their mayors $44,000 and $45,000.We have to be someplace below that as well as for commissioners."

"Whoever you talk to, they say, 'How can anybody in their right mind take that position making zero unless he is a millionaire?' Here [in Sunny Isles Beach] we put people up there [on the Commission] to spend their own time. Isn't that worth something? The biggest portion of cities around Florida pay their [elected officials] something. We should give our people something for their time."

George "Bud" Scholl, chair of former Charter Revision Commission:
"I equate our Commission to the board of directors of a company and I equate our city manager and charter officers as the management of that company. With that in mind, I think we walk 'a fine line' between encouraging our commissioners to almost make a day to day affair out of being a commissioner or mayor - like a 24/7 job.

"If we stay with the concept of a board of directors - the board gets compensated for participation.I agree that [serving on the Commission] takes time and it does preclude people like myself who also work day to day from possibly getting involved in the process.So if [compensation] could help that individual that's a good thing.I like the idea of encouraging people of limited means to serve in our city as an elected official and compensating our elected officials for the enormous amount of time it takes from their daily lives."

For more information about the Charter Revision election scheduled for November, 2004, phone the office of the City Clerk: 305-947-0606. The second reading of the ordinance providing for amendment of the City Charter will take place on June 17 at 7:30 p.m. during the next regular City Commission meeting at City Hall.

 

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