CFO Atwater gives big raises on way out

TALLAHASSEE — Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, a Florida Cabinet member poised to resign after the legislative session ends in a few days, has given six top-level staffers in his office substantial raises backdated to January, according to state records.

Smaller raises also were given to 10 division directors at the Department of Financial Services. In to- tal, the pay hikes will cost taxpayers $96,977 over the course of a year.

The raises for the top-level staffers were approved in April and made retroactive to January.

Most state workers haven’t received an increase in pay since 2013, but the current state budget allows agency chiefs to issue bonuses and raises “to address retention, pay inequities or other staffing issues,” according to a statement issued by Ashley Carr, a spokeswoman for Atwater’s Department of Financial Services.

The statement said the increases were a tool to retain top staffers and prevent turnover.

“By thoughtfully and systematically increasing the compensation structure of valued employees at all levels of the organization, most of whom have brought decades of expertise to the Department, we have retained the talent on our team and prevented the costly and inefficient turnover rates that plagued the Department when we first arrived,” Carr wrote.

Robert Kneip, DFS chief of staff, saw his annual salary rise by $7,550, to $158,550. Deputy chiefs of staff Paul Whitfield and Jay Etheridge each received $12,700 raises, bringing their salaries to $139,700 per year. One other deputy chief of staff, whose name was not made available, received a

$12,500 raise, bringing his or her pay to $137,500. General counsel Chasity O’Steen saw a $3,750 increase, to $128,750. Operations manager Susan Miller received a $7,584 increase, boosting her pay to $115,924. Carr’s statement said the department’s total workforce has been reduced by 240 positions over the past seven years, during Atwater’s term in office.

“These increases represent far less than 1 percent of the total $32.2 million in salary dollars that has been saved during CFO Atwater’s tenure,” Carr stated.

DFS currently has 243 unfilled positions, 145 of which have been vacant for 100 days or more.

Atwater, a Palm Beach County Republican and former Senate president, is leaving to take the CFO position at Boca Raton-based Florida Atlantic University as soon as the session ends. Lawmakers are expected to adjourn Monday.

On Tuesday, he issued an open letter to Floridians, touting his accomplishments in office.

“I committed our resources to increasing access to our state’s financial information and to ensure that Florida is using every tax dollar wisely. To hold myself and all state government leaders accountable, I posted our state’s expenses online for everyone to see, and transparent spending became the new Florida standard,” Atwater wrote.