Williston City Manager Gets Disputed Pay Raise

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

Rookie Williston City Manager Jackie Gorman was approved Tuesday for a $3,100 pay raise over the objections of first-year City Councilwoman Darfeness Hinds who felt the 4 percent increase was too high.

Hinds suggested giving Gorman a 2 percent raise, which amounted to about $1,500, but her fellow council members supported a motion by Councilman Elihu Ross to give Gorman the full 4 percent.

Numbers were tossed around in the meeting in support of giving Gorman the raise. President Debra Jones said the $3,100 raise amounted to $1.49 per hour for the 2080 hours she worked in a year’s time. Jones said Gorman actually worked more than 2080 hours annually.

Taxpayers will foot a much higher bill than the $1.49 per hour added to Gorman’s pay.

Gorman’s total payroll cost to taxpayers before the raise was granted amounted to about $105,488 annually, which if viewed from an hourly basis is more than $50 per hour.

Hourly wages aren’t the sole basis for calculating an employee’s total payroll cost to the city. The total cost includes the base salary, taxes, benefits, and in Gorman’s case a $5,045 car allowance and a $25 safety bonus. The entire cost is paid by city taxpayers.

Gorman’s approved raise won’t be added to her paycheck until the council approves a resolution at its next board meeting giving formal approval to the pay hike. Her current base salary is $77,500. Her base salary will increase to $80,600 when the wage increase resolution is approved by the council.

The previous city manager, Scott Lippmann, an experienced city manager, was earning $75,000 annually before he resigned. He had been with the city for many years. Council members accused him of adding personal pay raises to the city budget without a formal discussion or vote by the board on whether he was deserving of the extra pay.

The $5,045 car allowance for Gorman, which is doled out monthly, wasn’t labeled on the city’s staffing plan spreadsheet as a car allowance. Spotlight made records request for an explanation of the money. City Clerk Latricia Wright sent an email to Spotlight at 3:55 p.m. Tuesday, a couple hours before the council meeting, but it wasn’t noticed in time for Spotlight to open the email, but even if it had arrived on time, it was missing the requested information. Wright said in the email that Spotlight would have to pay a $15.15 copying fee at City Hall before the information would be released.

Jones explained at the meeting, in response to a Spotlight question, that the $5,045 was for car allowance. She said Spotlight would have been able to see that information in the email if it had been opened before the meeting. But the email provided no information whatsoever. Wright said Spotlight would have to pay before the information would be released.

Jones explained that Gorman’s contract gives her the car allowance. Unlike previous managers, she wasn’t assigned a city car. The allowance amounts to about $420 per month. Jones said Gorman isn’t assigned a gas credit card either. The city manager has a city credit card, but it isn’t used to purchase gas.

Spotlight is interested in transparency in the spending of public tax dollars, hence the questions about the $5,045. At first glance, the money looked like it could have been a pay raise or a bonus. Spotlight wanted clarification on why the money was given to Gorman.

The exchange of words between Hinds and Jones was informative and lengthy. Neither of the council members backed down from their position. Jones said the council members evaluated Gorman and the average of all five council members was calculated and amounted to a ratio of 4. Hinds didn’t think the score should translate to a raise of 4 percent. She felt the council needed to discuss other ways of assigning raises for the city manager.

Jones recommended the 4 percent raise and asked council members for their input. Jones compared the salaries of other city managers to the salary of Gorman including High Springs $81,562. Alachua $87,420, Bronson $70,000, Archer $95,458, Newberry $121,000.

Hinds wanted to know if the other city managers were salaried, were regular employees, or worked under contracts. Jones said she didn’t ask for that information. She also didn’t ask for the length of service of the city managers in their respective cities.

“Basically, you’re saying she (Gorman) is underpaid?” Hinds said.

“I’m saying she deserves a raise,” Jones responded. “I’m just giving you what others make. It’s hard to find one that has gas and electric (utilities) and water and sewer. Most cities only have water and sewer. Most don’t have electric. Most don’t have an airport. It’s hard to find comparisons. I’m not saying she is underpaid. If you want to give her less, I’ll entertain that.”

Jones pointed out that Gorman’s score, after all the council written evaluations had been compiled, was a 4. Jones felt Gorman deserved a 4 percent raise.

“That has nothing to do with pay,” Hinds responded.

“That’s the way we’ve always done it,” Jones said.

“The way we’ve done it is not always correct,” Hinds responded.

“I asked you the same question last week. How do you want to do it if not that way? Jones said.

“I’m just saying you’re making a comment and I’m commenting on your statement,” Hinds said.

“I’m just asking if you don’t want to do it that way, how do you want to do it? Jones responded.

“I think as some point we need to talk about how we do increases. It needs to be standardized in some form or fashion,” Hinds responded.

Jones said the city council is directly involved in evaluating and deciding the raises only for the city manager and city clerk.

“You can ask others here how we’ve done it. It’s been based on their evaluation if we had the money to do, and Mr. Bloom (finance director) says we do. That was the first question I asked. How much is it and do we have the money in the budget?” Jones said.

“A 4 percent increase is a lot. That’s $3,100. I would like to see 2 percent. It’s about $1,500. I agree we should give her something but that’s a lot as far as I’m concerned,” Hinds responded.

“Anyone else”? Jones said, asking other council members for comment.

“We’ve been doing it this way for a while,” said Councilman Michael Cox. “I favor 4 percent.”

Jones said there’s nothing to say it has to be 4 percent.

“That’s just the way I’ve always known to do it and it was my initial suggestion because that’s what came of the evaluation. That’s the best thing to base it on,” Jones said. “As I say, if you have another method on how to base it, I’d be happy to hear it. Any of you, if you have a better way to do it, I’d be happy to hear it. That’s just the way I know how to do it. If the money wasn’t there, I would say no way, but when I take the $3,100 and divide it by 2080 hours, and let me tell you she’s worked a whole lot more than that, it’s a $1.49 increase.”

“It’s a little more than the minimum wage increase will be,” Cox said.

Resident Marvin Johnson said the city council may have always done it the same way in the past, but he agreed with Hinds that there’s always room for change.

“Maybe the council can get together and you guys hash out a way – whatever Ms. Hinds is talking about,” Johnson said.

“This is the only place we can discuss it because of the Sunshine Law and it has to be in public,” Jones responded.

“This is it,” said Councilwoman Marguerite Robinson.

Jones said the discussion was the second time the council talked about the raise and she called again for someone to give her another method for determining a raise.

“Does Mr. (Elihu) Ross have an idea,” Robinson said.

Ross said he did have something to say.

“Yes, I have an idea. I would make a motion we raise 4 percent,” Ross said.

Robinson added, “I second.”

The vote was 4-1 to approve the raise with Hinds opposed to the 4 percent raise.