Commissioners Want To Cut Their Own Salaries, Disagree On Method

March 21, 2008

Escambia County Commissioners held a lengthy, and sometimes heated, discussion at their Thursday night meeting about cutting their salaries by 10 percent.

white.jpgDistrict 5 Commissioner Kevin White (pictured) made a motion that the county ask the Florida Legislature cut the salaries of all county commissioners in the state by 10 percent, and if not for all counties, that Escambia commission salaries be cut by 10 percent.

Commissioner Marie Young said she was unwilling to support taking the request to the state legislature directly. She made a motion that the request go to the Florida Association of Counties first and allow FAC to present the request to the legislature. Young serves on the FAC board of directors.

“I cannot support it as only for Escambia County,” Young said. “Only if it goes through the proper channels of going through the Florida Association of Counties.”

“I’ll agree to send it to both, but not just FAC,” White said.

Young’s motion failed with four commissioners voting against it; only Young voted in the affirmative.

White’s motion was amended to present the request to both the legislature and FAC.

Commission Chairman Mike Whitehead said that in order for the legislature to approve the request, it would need a 5-0 vote by the commission, or it would fail in Tallahassee.

“I do know and understand the process when you call for a special act,” Whitehead said. “If you want to do something that is meaningful, then do it through the appropriate channels and do it correctly. What you are asking for becomes nothing but posturing.”

White’s motion passed 4-1, with Young voting against it.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News