Bad bill in Florida Senate will handcuff counties and cut my wages at the same time

As a security officer in MiamiDade County, I risk my life to care for my neighbors. I go to work every day during a global pandemic, and when transit riders find themselves in harm’s way, my co-workers and I are on the frontlines ensuring their safety. It can be a dangerous job, and it takes experience and courage to do. That’s why the county makes sure we are fairly compensated. But now, our local government’s ability to pay us fairly is at risk.

As a former employee of the U.S. government, I recall cost-of-living wage increases for federal workers always received bipartisan support in Congress. Now, in MiamiDade County, I see the importance of local government’s ability to set living wages in such a costly place to live. On a national level, we are facing a massive labor shortage, evident in supply-chain delays, school closures and increased childcare costs. But in Florida, we are now at risk of facing a similar labor shortage — due to Florida Senate Bill 1124.

As a Republican, I find it regrettable that the Florida Senate recently introduced this bill, which would override local governments’ ability to set the minimum wage based on the cost of living in their city or county. Miami-Dade residents are seeing the cost of living rise every day. Two-thirds of Miami-Dade renters spend over 30% of their incomes on housing. As a state, Florida saw the largest increase in rent in 2021, around 29%.

Limiting leaders’ ability to set wages for their local workforce is incredibly irresponsible. This legislation wEill adversely affect every Floridian regardless of their political views. It would be disastrous for local economies and for the ability of local governments to retain the brightest and most dedicated public servants and contractors.

As much as my coworkers and I love the communities we serve, losing the wages we depend on is not worth the risk we put our lives in every day. Stagnant wages will not cut it in this line of work, especially in the midst of an unprecedented housing crisis. If wages are reduced, the county may lose its most experienced security personnel to more-affordable cities.

This issue is not about politics, it’s about putting public safety first.

The quality of county services, no doubt, will be affected because of the exodus of many talented professionals from its diverse workforce to other parts of the country, where wages will better reflect the cost of living in those areas.

With the Florida Retirement System (FRS) helping public workers keep their pensions when they move, county employees will compare wages and living costs in Miami Dade to those in other counties with a lower cost of living, and leave. Our county governments could be forced into a costly bidding war for skilled workers, and our communities could lose the people who know those communities’ unique needs and how to meet them.

Our communities deserve skilled, experienced workers who understand our local needs. And those of us who bring our skills and experience to these jobs deserve to be paid fairly for our hard work, at a rate that lets us stay in the place we love.