Broward’s top officials get second round of pay raises
Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry got a pay boost Tuesday, bringing her salary to $347,716, the highest in county government.
Broward commissioners handed out bigger raises to the county’s three top appointed officials Tuesday, saying they deserve more than other employees because of the good job they do keeping the county running.
County Administrator Bertha Henry, County Attorney Drew Meyers and County Auditor Bob Melton had already received the same 3% raise given to other county employees in October. County commissioners decided to boost their pay even more:
Henry’s tops-in-the-county salary will grow an additional $6,818, giving her a total 5.1% pay boost of $16,747. Her annual salary will be $347,716.
Meyers received an extra $20,000 salary increase on top of the $8,633 raise he already received for a total 10% increase. His annual salary will be $316,400.
Melton is getting another $4,791, giving him a 5.1% total raise of $11,769. His annual salary will be $244,361.
“I think when you take any $5 billion corporation in this country, and see what they do and see how they’ve saved us millions of dollars and I could go on and on, I think that they’re not being paid in accordance with other standards,” said Mayor Mark Bogen, who proposed the increases.
Commissioners voted 8-1 in favor of the raises. While Commissioner Beam Furr said the three
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were deserving, he couldn’t justify giving them a higher increase than the 3% other employees received.
“I do think it is good to lead by example. Three percent of a large salary is a lot more than 3% of a smaller salary. Those are substantial raises,” Furr said. “I think we risk having resentment from those people who work for us day after day after day.”
The three are the only county executives who work directly for the commissioners.
Bogen pushed for higher salaries for the three last year as well. They received 4% increases in 2018 while other county employees received 3% pay raises.
The biggest boost went to Meyers, and he was the focus of most of the commission’s discussion. Bogen said his research showed there were 13 assistant county attorneys in MiamiDade earning more than
Meyers.
“We are lucky to have a county attorney as we do right now, who works seven days a week, available to us every day, weekends, 24 hours,” Bogen said.
Commissioner Tim Ryan said the increases still do not do justice for their work, especially Meyers.
“Recognizing the pay levels that other county attorneys receive in large metropolitan areas, it’s still below what I feel is appropriate for the amount of work being performed,” Ryan said.
Vice Mayor Dale Holness said he constantly sees the attorney’s car in the parking garage whether he’s at the office late at night or early in the morning.
But Meyers, showing some humility, said that his car’s presence might not be a good indicator that he is in the office.
“I do leave my car here overnight,” Meyers said. “Sometimes I am here and my car is not. More often, my car is here and I am not.”