PALM COAST, Fla. — Elected officials in Palm Coast could soon increase their salaries by thousands of dollars.
During its meeting on Tuesday, the city council is considering raising the mayor’s pay to $46,000 and council members’ pay to $44,000.
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Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin sees a city that’s undergone great growth in its 22 years. Its population tripled to nearly 90,000, and he says it’s on the doorstep of becoming a regional destination for health care training.
Alfin said it’s time for the salaries of the city’s mayor and council members to catch up.
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“This council was formed 21 and a half years ago. It’s still working according to the rules of 21 and a half years ago,” he said.
Council members are considering increasing the mayor’s salary from $11,000 to $46,000 and council member pay from $9,600 to $44,000.
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Alfin said he puts in close to 60 hours each week as mayor, and he feels the pay increase would put him in line with other elected officials like those in the county, which pays its commissioners $58,000. The increase could also help attract younger, more diverse candidates in future elections.
Palm Coast resident Mike Martin, who serves as mosquito control commissioner, does not like how the idea came up at the end of the meeting without public input and feels it’s too much in this economy.
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“That is ludicrous and outrageous,” Martin said.
Martin said he thinks the elected officials do deserve a raise; he just doesn’t like the way it’s been handled.
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