Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on County Administrator raise:
POLITICS
Hillsborough commission gives Merrill praise, 3.5% raise
By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff
Published: February 6, 2014
TAMPA — Hillsborough County commissioners couldn’t say enough good things about County Administrator Mike Merrill during his evaluation Wednesday.
Since taking over as acting administrator in March 2010, Merrill has faced multi-million-dollar budget deficits and has had to lay off hundreds of county employees. He balanced those out-of-kilter budgets and reduced county debt with relatively few reductions in services. As a result, the county has one of the few AAA credit ratings in the state.
“Your leadership here and how you’ve taken and led this organization through these very difficult times is just exemplary,” said Commissioner Kevin Beckner.
“You’re the consummate public servant,” Commissioner Victor Crist said.
But when commissioners concluded Merrill should be rewarded monetarily, they gave him a 3.5 percent raise and struggled on what formula to use to give him more.
Though Merrill’s contract does not have a raise built in, commissioners can give him one in any year that other county employees get increases. Plus, commissioners can evaluate his contract every year at the same time they review his performance and give him whatever compensation they choose.
The suggestion for a 3.5 percent raise came from Commissioner Sandy Murman, who pointed out Merrill was the only county employee not to get a raise last year. A 3.5 percent raise would be the same increase given to most non-managerial county employees.
Murman pointed out that other executives of Hillsborough government or quasi-governmental agencies, such as MaryEllen Elia, the superintendent of schools, and Joe Lopano, CEO of Tampa International Airport, are paid much more than the $210,000 Merrill now earns.
Murman read from an excerpt of a December 2010 commission meeting that listed salaries for county administrators in Florida’s largest counties. Even at that earlier date, the administrators all made more than $210,000.
Some commissioners suggested Merrill’s pay be raised to $225,000, the salary paid Pinellas County’s administrator in 2010. But Commissioner Les Miller, looking out at the empty commission chamber, said such a decision should be made at a meeting publicized ahead of time.
“I understand the need to give him a raise,” Miller said. “My concern is the public did not get any inclination we were going to do this.”
As a compromise, the commission voted to give Merrill the 3.5 percent increase suggested by Murman and have the county executive staff research current salaries of county administrators around the state. Once the research is done, the commission will consider raising Merrill’s salary to a level in line with executives from other counties.
