Gaetz Hoping For State Work Pay Raises

March 10, 2013

The Senate president has reiterated that lawmakers will try to give state workers their first raise in six years, though he warned about the unpredictable nature of economic circumstances that could derail the plan.

Speaking at a luncheon of the Capital Tiger Bay Club, Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said the move to give state workers more money was bipartisan. Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, is one of its chief backers.

“Bill Montford and I are working together as partners to try to find the money to end the six-year drought and give state employees a raise this year,” Gaetz said.

It’s the first time in several years lawmakers have had enough projected revenue to fund at least the current year budget in the new fiscal year, without having to cut programs.

But Gaetz warned that because the federal sequestration has created a question about the economy, nobody can predict the state’s finances.

Florida’s state employees last got a raise in 2006 when they got a 3 percent increase in pay, though they did receive a one-time lump sum bonus payment of $1,000 in 2007. Their take-home pay, meanwhile, has dropped because of a new requirement since 2011 that 3 percent of their pay go into the state retirement system for their pensions.

The budget proposed by Gov. Rick Scott includes one-time bonuses for non-supervisory state workers. In addition to the $1,200 bonuses for most state workers, the governor also wants additional merit-based bonuses for other senior employees.

A bill (HB 289) filed in the House by Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, and in the Senate (SB 1180) by Sen. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, would give state employees a 7 percent raise. A bill (HB 41) by Rep. Dwayne Taylor, D-Daytona Beach, in the House and Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa in the Senate (SB 484) would provide a 2 percent raise.

Gaetz didn’t say what amount he had in mind for a state worker pay hike.

By The News Service of Florida

Comments

3 Responses to “Gaetz Hoping For State Work Pay Raises”

  1. matt on March 10th, 2013 10:46 am

    Ive worked under the state retirement in local law enforcement for 16 years. We last recieved a raise in 2006, Now we have to contibute 3% to our retirement. When I started it was understood that as a state employee your pay was ok but your retirement was taken care of and you had nothing to worry about. Now you pay the 3%, there will be no drop by the time I retire, and does your employer really care. When someone has worked for 16 years and another for 6 and they both make the same amount there is a problem. For the most part the employees of this state want to serve. and truelly do their job. Some dont care. I do. Ive stood by and watched the changes. The state needs to take care of its employees instead of filling a job with someone that 1. has no clue about the job their doing, and 2 just does not care. A happy employee is a productive employee. A employee that see’s that state not caring is not going to care about the state or the job that needs to be done.

  2. JT on March 10th, 2013 9:43 am

    I have worked for the state for 7 years now and make 5% less than what I started at. I knew going in the pay wasn’t great but the benefits were good. Now they are taking away the benefits that are contracted due to a government that will not honor it’s promises and a governor that has absolutely no respect for the law and possesses no ethics. I would be happy if the state would just honor it’s obligations that were contracted at this point. I would probably make more in pay and benefits if I sat at home on welfare. I think that is what the president wants.

  3. c.w. on March 10th, 2013 5:02 am

    The state workers need and deserve a big raise. Its the elected officals that get and don,t deserve a yearly raise but they ALWAYS get one. The system is completely broken.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News