NORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla. — North Lauderdale city commissioners are facing public backlash after voting to triple their own salaries — just days before a newly formed state oversight team arrived in Broward County to scrutinize local government spending.
The 4-1 vote came during a commission meeting on July 29. Under the new compensation plan, commissioners will see their annual salaries rise from $19,000 to $57,000 starting in October.
In addition, each commissioner will receive an $8,400 car allowance. The mayor will earn even more — $68,000 per year.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from state Rep. Chip LaMarca, (R) Lighthouse Point, who called the timing and size of the raise “abhorrent.”
“Ultimately you serve at the pleasure of the people that elect you,” LaMarca said. “If you want more money, it’s like a job — you’d ask your supervisor, your boss.”
The vote came just before the arrival of the Florida Department of Government Efficiency, a new state initiative aimed at reviewing local spending across Broward County.
While the pay raise has sparked controversy, it’s important to note that voters last November approved a charter amendment giving commissioners the authority to set their own salaries and eliminating previous limits on how much they could increase their pay.
Still, some taxpayers like Carol Cheyne say this wasn’t what they had in mind. They argue the raises go far beyond what voters intended.
“Where’s the money coming from? What programs are being disbanded or not being funded because of these huge increases?” Cheyne said. “That’s my main concern. We all voted for it, but I don’t think anybody voted for a 100% raise.”
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