In a move that has stirred controversy and public outcry, North Lauderdale city commissioners have voted to significantly boost their paychecks, just as a state oversight team is knocking at Broward County's door to scrutinize local government expenditures. According to Local 10, the commissioners, in a 4-1 decision on July 29, authorized an increase of their annual salaries from $19,000 to $57,000, to begin this October.
Adding to the already considerable wage hike, a tidy $8,400 car allowance will be provided for each commissioner, with the mayor receiving an additional boost to $68,000 and a car allowance that swells to $9,600, as reported by the Miami Herald. This financial maneuver came to light less than two days ahead of the Florida Department of Government Efficiency's arrival, a new task force designed with the goal of evaluating local spending practices.
State Rep. Chip LaMarca (R) Lighthouse Point has openly criticized the decision, particularly its timing and magnitude, stating that it is "abhorrent." "Ultimately you serve at the pleasure of the people that elect you," LaMarca told Local 10. "If you want more money, it’s like a job — you’d ask your supervisor, your boss."
Though voters passed a charter amendment last November that provided the commissioners authority to determine their own salaries, without imposing prior caps on pay increases, taxpayers are expressing dismay at the commission's interpretation of this mandate. Without indicating clearly where the funds for such salary boosts are coming from, North Lauderdale residents like Carol Cheyne worry about the potential cost to community programs. "Where’s the money coming from? What programs are being disbanded or not being funded because of these huge increases?" Cheyne argued, as reported by Local 10, "That’s my main concern. We all voted for it, but I don’t think anybody voted for a 100% raise."
The Florida Department of Government Efficiency, also known by the acronym DOGE, is expected to conduct a thorough review of such fiscal policies throughout the county as part of a broader effort in governing efficiency.
