The Flagler Beach City Commission awarded City Manager Dale Martin a 4 percent raise, reflecting the last two years’ evaluations. The commission forgot to award him a raise last year.
“It just fell off of our to-do list,” Commissioner Eric Cooley said. “We messed that up last year.” And Martin didn’t bring it up to the commissioners’ attention.
Martin was earning $165,000, the same salary he started with a little over two years ago. His new salary is $171,620.
“To be honest here, I’m never going to ask for a raise. I leave that strictly at your discretion,” Martin said.
The raise could have been based on the same formula used to award merit raises to city employees. Last year Martin’s evaluation equated to a B. This year, due to an unusually negative evaluation from first-year Commissioner John Cunningham, the cumulative evaluations equated to a C. But commissioners weren’t held to that. Martin is a contract employee, City Attorney Drew Smith said. He gets paid whatever the commissioners decide to pay him.
Martin was uncomfortable with the commission’s discussion–not about the results of his evaluation, which the commissioners did not discuss openly. They had done so in one-on-one meetings with him. He was uncomfortable with the commissioners trying to figure out how to break down what they thought they owed him from last year and combine it with what raise he ought to get this year.
“Okay, I’ll make it real easy,” Martin said. “We’re moving past last year. I’m not too concerned about it. If you want to consider that as part of this, 3 percent is what we budgeted. That equates to roughly a $5,000 raise for over the two years at the end of the day. And if you’re good with that, I’m good with that. Let’s move on.”
That would “undercut” him, Cooley said.
“He undercut himself, so he’s ok,” Commissioner Belhumeur, who’d not given Martin the most glowing evaluation, either, said. But it was Belhumeur who proposed going with 4 percent and who moved to approve the raise. There was no dissent from Cunningham: the motion passed unanimously.
“If I were doing this for money like you,” Martin said, referring to commissioners’ salary of $10,443, “I’m definitely underpaid, but I love what I do, and I look forward to working with all of you. It’s going to be an exciting year. So let’s move on.”
Joe D says
Just two thoughts here:
1-How does a budget line (for anything) just not be paid?
2–How does a budget reconciliation audit not pick up that the raise hadn’t been paid until now…wouldn’t there be a gap on a budget line somewhere (maybe it’s because he is a specially contracted employee)?
*****
I’m concerned there are more budget omissions …..but THAT would be question #3 😬
Laurel says
Good point.
Steve says
An i get a 4% raise on my property taxes
RobdaSlob says
I’m not passing judgement on this individual but had some fleeting thoughts as I read this article. The fact that he does or does not get a 4% raise is of some interest. But it would be interesting in this article if you compared this pay to what the average is in Florida for similar size town. To me (and I’m sure others) 170k seems like a pretty nice paycheck – a little high for an area where the average income is probably close to half of that number and since in the US the government is suppose to represent the people you would think their pay would be representative of the people. However, when I do a little internet research it seems typical for this size Florida town so looks like the salary is close to what the market demands. To the comment on raising property taxes – there are less than 5,000 parcels paying property tax in Flagler Beach – the city’s primary source of income – well one can do the math themselves on what that costs each homeowner.
Hand me the remote says
Ok,
Here is another mediocre City Manager getting a substantial increase for a poor job.
What is wrong with the City Commission!
How did he miss the outrageous Wastewater plant cost increase.
I just read because the document was 2000 pages long, WTF, really?
Not to mention the beloved Sold waste department that has completely gone done hill with his leadership. To the point he wants to sub contract it out.
So let’s give him an increase.
Better yet some of the comments from the Commission make me think they are not in touch with the taxpayers.
See you asses in March!
Dusty says
I don’t care for him but everyone deserves a cola every once ina while.
T says
But everyone gets 15 a hr for real work