- December 11, 2024
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The Palm Coast City Council approved a 151% raise for council members and a 164% raise for the mayor April 19 in a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Eddie Branquinho dissenting. The raises will take effect only after the November elections, but will apply to all council seats, not just those on the November ballot.
"I think having someone who can compensate their working class life with being on our council will be a net benefit, to not only our council, but to the community."
— NICK KLUFAS, city councilman
The dollar amounts the council ultimately approved were suggested by Councilman John Fanelli and are lower than the 365% raise proposed by Mayor David Alfin several weeks ago, but, unlike Alfin’s proposal, Fanelli’s proposal also adds city benefits and cost-of-living increases for council members.
The raises' proponents on the council said they believed that raising council pay would help attract strong council candidates, and that the current salaries — $9,600 for council members, and $11,400 for the mayor — combined with the positions' heavy time commitment, dissuade potential candidates who work for a living.
"Here's my question: Should a resident's ability and availability to serve as a City Council member be dependent on their financial wealth?" Alfin said at the meeting. "That's the question I put out. ... Do we restrict our candidates from running for office and serving the community because we are tying it to their financial wealth?"
The council had initially approved Alfin’s suggestion for an increase to $44,670 for council members and $46,470 for the mayor in a first-reading vote on April 5, but Alfin, inundated by negative comments from locals, then said he was willing to reconsider the amount of the proposed raises before the required second-reading vote on April 19.
"If this is about attracting better candidates, make yourselves ineligible for this raise."
— MIKE MARTIN, resident
Interim City Councilman John Fanelli said he'd looked at 16 comparable cities, and found that they had an average council salary of $24,097.61 and an average mayoral salary of $30,039.47.
He suggested setting the council and mayoral salaries at those levels — a 151% salary increase for council members and a 164% raise for the mayor — extending city employee cost-of-living increases to the council, and granting council members city employee benefits, with an option to instead accept a pay increase of equal value.
City staff's "opt-out" amount for city benefits is $750, which will be the amount offered to council members who'd prefer to accept it in lieu of benefits.
Fanelli is not running for election in November and therefore would not benefit from a council raise.
"I think this is a fair and appropriate compensation for the position," Fanelli said.
City Councilman Eddie Branquinho opposed his proposal.
"We're creating a contract for us, with benefits, without any kind of arbitration," Branquinho said.
None of the current Palm Coast City Council members are running for re-election in November, although two seats are on the ballot — Fanelli’s and Branquinho’s. Fanelli, when he accepted the interim council position, made a commitment not to run in November, while Branquinho has said that he does not intend to seek re-election. The other three seats are not up for election this year, so the members that hold them — Alfin, Councilman Nick Klufas and Councilman Ed Danko — will receive the raises after the elections are over.
Locals who spoke during the meeting's public comment period slammed the proposed raises. Many said they believed council members deserved a raise, but not such a steep one.
"The fact that we've had a City Council since the city was incorporated proves that people are willing to work for the current salary," resident Mike Martin said. "... If this is about attracting better candidates, make yourselves ineligible for this raise. ... When you include yourself, no matter what you say your motivation is, it comes across as greed. Flat out greed."
"I find it very offensive for you to stand or sit there ... and ask for a raise at a time when all of us are struggling to make it," Sue Urban said. "Half the people in this room, I can guarantee you, barely have enough food in their cupboards to feed their families."
One resident said that a significant increase in council pay would disadvantage non-incumbent candidates, since incumbents could use their council pay for their campaigns.
Klufas supported raises, saying they would help attract a more diverse group of council candidates. But he favored increases more modest than Alfin’s initial proposal, suggesting phasing in the raises or setting them closer to the salary of local School Board members ($35,949 in Flagler County) while adding benefits.
"The success of our council and the effectiveness of our council is really a function of our diversity," Klufas said. "And I think, judging based on community feedback, that we need higher quality. ... I think having someone who can compensate their working class life with being on our council will be a net benefit, to not only our council, but to the community."
Branquinho, the sole council member who'd vote against the proposed raises during the April 5 meeting, said this is the wrong time for such a sharp increase. He suggesting that the council increase council salaries to $12,000 and the mayoral salary to $15,000, or, alternatively, that the council have the proposed raises placed on the ballot as a referendum item.
"It's no secret that I'm entirely against this raise, especially at the level of 365%," Branquinho said. "... I think that we should listen to the people of Palm Coast. That's what we're here for. And from what you've heard, what I've heard, the people are not in favor of this."
Other council members rejected Branquinho’s proposals and voted in favor of Fanelli’s.
