CITY COMMISSIONERS
RECONSIDER COLA,
BALANCE BUDGET ON 10 SEPT
2024 September 10
RECONSIDER COLA,
BALANCE BUDGET ON 10 SEPT
2024 September 10
The Cedar Key City Commission met for its Tentative Budget and Millage Hearing on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 5:01 pm in City Hall, The latter meeting adjourned at approximately 6:40 pm.
Commissioners in attendance included: Mayor Sue Colson, Vice-Mayor Nancy Sera, and Commissioners Jeff Webb and Jolie Davis; Commissioner Jim Wortham attended by telephone.
PUBLIC COMMENT
The issue focused upon by speaker to Public Comment was the cost of living adjustments/raises for city staff, which were taken out of the budget at the last budget meeting.
Resident Phil Prescott spoke to the issues of:
• no cost of living adjustments, in actuality, means a monetary loss to staff because the cost of living continues to grow;
• in his experience with staff, which is replete, , city staff members do not work for a pay checks, they instead work from dedication to the city.
• no cost of living adjustments, in actuality, means a monetary loss to staff because the cost of living continues to grow;
• in his experience with staff, which is replete, , city staff members do not work for a pay checks, they instead work from dedication to the city.
Resident Mike Day suggested that commissioners deny the adjustments/raises but gather a committee to study the issue to be better prepare for next year’s budgeting. He furthered that he would support whatever the commissioners decided.
Resident Jeri Treat suggested that commissioners look to other measures to increasing revenues, such as taxing short-term rentals.
Another audience member suggested that services cost money, therefore commissioners ought to raise the millage to cover the services .
BUDGET REVIEW, DISCUSSION
Commissioner Jeff Web orchestrated the evening’s agenda. Acknowledging that few in the audience were in the room for the last five budget sessions, he abbreviated those meetings’ content.
Commissioner Jeff Web orchestrated the evening’s agenda. Acknowledging that few in the audience were in the room for the last five budget sessions, he abbreviated those meetings’ content.
Colson spoke up in favor of the adjustments repeatedly, suggesting the necessary money might come from:
• commissioners’ paychecks, which might bring approximately $19,000 of the $35,000 needed;
• raising the millage rate;
• reducing the Police Department budget.
• commissioners’ paychecks, which might bring approximately $19,000 of the $35,000 needed;
• raising the millage rate;
• reducing the Police Department budget.
Commissioner Jolie Davis argued that:
• she has not finished her data collection on the personnel workshop that she has been planning for the past several months;
• the Clerk’s Office staff budget is too large;
• her preliminary calculations indicate a much larger number than salaries indicate, as salaries do not include the cost of fringes or benefits paid by the city;
• should staff get the adjustments, she posited that the Clerk’s Office should not get the adjustment.
• she has not finished her data collection on the personnel workshop that she has been planning for the past several months;
• the Clerk’s Office staff budget is too large;
• her preliminary calculations indicate a much larger number than salaries indicate, as salaries do not include the cost of fringes or benefits paid by the city;
• should staff get the adjustments, she posited that the Clerk’s Office should not get the adjustment.
COST OF LIVING APPROVED
When called upon to approve or disapprove the adjustments/raises, Webb asked for Colson’s and Sera’s decisions. Both responded in the affirmative. Davis did not have a problem with the cost of living adjustment except for the Clerk’s department. She said the Clerk’s department was way overpaid and was very strongly against it for them. When asked for Wortham’s response, Wortham noted that he had reconsidered the issue and was now in favor of the adjustment, with the understanding that a thorough study and recalculation occur before next year’s salary discussions were scheduled. Webb said he “did not disagree” with either Wortham or Davis and that they now had three members in support of the COLA. He then, without expressing his position on the adjustment, returned to the budget and the discussion of finding the means to cover the COLA.
When called upon to approve or disapprove the adjustments/raises, Webb asked for Colson’s and Sera’s decisions. Both responded in the affirmative. Davis did not have a problem with the cost of living adjustment except for the Clerk’s department. She said the Clerk’s department was way overpaid and was very strongly against it for them. When asked for Wortham’s response, Wortham noted that he had reconsidered the issue and was now in favor of the adjustment, with the understanding that a thorough study and recalculation occur before next year’s salary discussions were scheduled. Webb said he “did not disagree” with either Wortham or Davis and that they now had three members in support of the COLA. He then, without expressing his position on the adjustment, returned to the budget and the discussion of finding the means to cover the COLA.
BUDGET BALANCED
Ultimately, commissioners agreed to finance the cost of living adjustments/raises for all departments and balance the budget, which is required by law, by:
• reducing the Police Department budget by $15,000,
• transferring $31,500 from the Clerk’s Office and Public Works to the Community Relations Agency budget,
• and raising the millage rate minimally to 4.4936.
Ultimately, commissioners agreed to finance the cost of living adjustments/raises for all departments and balance the budget, which is required by law, by:
• reducing the Police Department budget by $15,000,
• transferring $31,500 from the Clerk’s Office and Public Works to the Community Relations Agency budget,
• and raising the millage rate minimally to 4.4936.
IN ATTENDANCE
Commissioners in attendance included: Mayor Sue Colson, Vice-Mayor Nancy Sera, and Commissioners Jeff Webb and Jolie Davis; Commissioner Jim Wortham attended by telephone.
Commissioners in attendance included: Mayor Sue Colson, Vice-Mayor Nancy Sera, and Commissioners Jeff Webb and Jolie Davis; Commissioner Jim Wortham attended by telephone.
Staff in attendance included: City of Cedar Key Attorney Norm Fugate, Police Department Chief Edwin Jenkins, Fire Chief/Emergency Operations Director Robert Robinson, Public Works Supervisor Jamie McCain, Interim City Clerk/Building Clerk Jennifer Sylvester, Deputy City Clerk Telicia Winfield, and Clerk Heather Lang.
Among those in the audience were: Ron Smith, Scott Wright, Mike Hamilton, Doug and Sandy Lindhout, Mike Day, Claudia Nelson, Jennifer Webb, Ben Iverson, Ken and Vanessa Edmonds, Darrell McCormick, Phil Prescott, Lisa and James Custer, Janice Fugate, Anne Miller, Jeri Treat, and the Cedar Key News’ Mandy and Frank Offerle.
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