DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Daytona Beach City Commission has moved forward in the process of awarding themselves pay raises, the first time such an action will have been taken in almost two decades. The measure will have to be voted for final approval, but looks destined to go into effect later this year.
If passed, the salary of the mayor (an office currently held by Derrick Henry) would be tied at 75% of the salary of the Volusia County Chair. In practice, Henry would go from $41,059 to $48,940. The salaries for the city commissioners would be set at 75% of the mayor's salary, marking an increase from $23,650 to $36,705.
All things considered, the overall amount of money spent on compensating the Daytona Beach City Commission is set to increase by an amount of $86,211 per year. The extra cost was justified by the Salary Review Committee, who contested that the city's growth since the last pay raise has led to greater workload and time commitments for the City Commission. Furthermore, they hope it will incentivize greater numbers of residents choosing to run for public office.
The ordinance enacting the pay raises will be voted on some time in the next couple months, and if approved, will then be official. The raises would take effect between November 5th, the date of this year's general election, and November 20th.
