Daytona Beach mayor, city commissioners discussing raises for their elected posts

DAYTONA BEACH — Twenty years ago, the Daytona Beach mayoral post came with an annual salary of about $30,000. City commissioners made less than $20,000 per year.

Two decades later, commissioners have an annual salary of $23,650, and the city pays the mayor $41,059 each year.

Elected officials dedicated to serving their constituents put in a lot of behind-the-scenes work taking phone calls, answering emails, connecting on social media and talking to people they bump into everywhere from church to the grocery store. There are also constant meetings and public events the mayor and commissioners attend.

Is Daytona Beach paying its mayor and six city commissioners enough?

The question of commissioner and mayoral pay, and whether it's time for raises, will be discussed at Wednesday night's 6 p.m. City Commission meeting at City Hall.

The mayor and commissioners won't be taking a vote on possible salary changes at this week's meeting. But they will be discussing the matter, and local residents will be able to respond during public comments at the end of the meeting.

City law sets guidelines for mayor, commissioner raises

Even if the mayor and commissioners do decide to raise their pay, the salary hike will take more than a year to kick in.

The City Charter says that if commissioners pass an ordinance increasing their annual salaries, the new measure couldn't be effective until new four-year terms begin. So the earliest raises could begin would be Nov. 20, 2024.

Daytona Beach staggers its City Commission elections so not every seat is up for re-election at the same time. Every two years, three of the six commission seats are up for re-election. Every four years, the mayor's seat is in play.

In 2024, the mayor's seat is up for re-election, as are the Zone 2, 4 and 6 city commissioner seats. In 2026, Zones 1, 3 and 5 are will be up for re-election.

The City Charter spells out several timing requirements and other rules. An ordinance increasing commission salaries has to be adopted at least six months prior to the next regular city election.

So commissioners would have to take their first vote on a pay hike by April 17 next year, and they would have to adopt the measure no later than May 1, 2024.

Citizen committee would weigh in on salary increases

Commissioners would also have to appoint a salary review committee. City law says the committee would have to be appointed at least a year before the next general election, so for the current election cycle, that means at least 12 months prior to Nov. 4, 2024.

The committee would be tasked with making written recommendations to the City Commission on salaries of the elected officials. The committee would have to report its recommendation to the City Commission no later than Jan. 15 next year.

The committee would have to be formed in the next three months. The group would need to include at least five members of the community, and at least two of them would have to be former elected city officials.

More on Daytona Commission salaries: Daytona Beach City Commission to discuss raise for mayor

In a July 5 memo, City Attorney Ben Gross cautioned city commissioners that they might be rushed if they try to complete the process of approving raises before the November 2024 general election.

"This timeline assumes that the Salary Review Committee could meet, review and report its recommendations to the City Commission in a period just over two months — a period that includes the holiday season," Gross wrote. "Additional time could be needed both to establish the Salary Review Committee membership and for the committee to conduct its business."

You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach city commissioners consider hiking their salaries