Commission gives City Manager Jennifer Bramley a unanimous positive evaluation and 3.5% merit increase

The City Commission completed the City Manager’s annual evaluation and approved a 3.5% salary increase by unanimous vote.

Evaluation highlights: Commissioners praised Bramley’s leadership through a difficult year of recovery from storms, her role coordinating legislative outreach and grants, and her operational oversight of staff and departments. Comments singled out her calm leadership during emergency response, grants and legislative work that helped secure state funding and the successful organization of staffing and succession plans.

Goals and priorities: Commissioners asked the City Manager to continue prioritizing storm recovery, infrastructure resilience, and multi-year financial planning to limit the likelihood of future property-tax increases. Specific suggestions included a five-year financial plan, continued focus on stormwater and sea-level/ resiliency planning, and closer attention to neighborhood-level post-storm recovery timelines.

Outcome: The commission approved the maximum merit increase for general employees (3.5%) and asked staff to continue work on the commission-identified goals. The City Manager thanked the commission and highlighted staff contributions and the community’s role in recovery.