Compensation of elected officials

St. Augustine and St. Johns County elected officials, some who earn nearly double the average income in the area, should take note of an article that appeared yesterday in the Clearwater Beacon, titled, “Mayor, council forego pay raises”.

At the November 3rd meeting, Clearwater council members unanimously voted to skip their 2012 raises — a practice they followed in fiscal years 2010 and 2011.

A resolution adopted 11 years ago set the Clearwater mayor’s salary at $18,000 a year and the City Council members’ salaries at $15,000 per annum, according to Beacon reporter Lester R. Dailey.

The resolution further stated that those officials should receive an annual pay raise of “2 percent or an amount equal to the cost of living adjustment received by Social Security recipients, whichever is greater”.

Although the elected officials are legally entitled to the extra money, they have refused it for three years running.

“When the economy went sour, the mayor and council members thought it would be unseemly for them to get pay raises while their constituents’ salaries are remaining stagnant — or even declining.”