Miramar commissioners have aide

Some residents complain about unnecessary cost

Six years ago the Miramar city commission had one secretary who was paid $40,000 a year. Now it has five “legislative aides” with salaries ranging from $62,000 to $80,000 annually.

The increase in personnel and pay has sparked complaints from many residents who say it is an unnecessary expenditure of taxpayer money, and that the five-member commission is now delegating too many duties they should do themselves.

“I think they’re highly overpaid, for a position that basically helps commissioners keep track of their agendas,” said Alex Casas, a longtime resident who has run several times for the commission, on a platform focusing on budget reform.

“And there isn’t a need for each commissioner to have an aide, maybe they could share them. … I believe the commission is mismanaging the taxpayer’s money,” he said.

Many of the city commissions or town councils in other cities throughout Broward and Palm Beach share legislative aides or assistants who are part time or make full-time salaries lower than what Miramar offers, according to information they provided to the Sun Sentinel.

The official legislative aide job description in Miramar outlines mostly secretarial tasks, including planning meetings, taking minutes and dictation, proofreading, reviewing mail, taking phone calls and filing records. The employee should have a “thorough knowledge of modern office practices and procedures.”

The job requires at least an associate degree or vocational or technical diploma and four to six years of general secretarial or administrative experience, as well as the ability to type 60 words a minute.

Bob Ruben, who has lived in since 1969, said the assistants are

“Other than for the mayor, they should all go back to the one assistant for all of them,” said Ruben. “If they make the argument that they need assistants, well start showing us your work slips, explain to us Miramar superfluous.