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North Lauderdale adopts higher elected-official pay with voluntary opt-out and donation option
Summary
The commission approved a second-reading ordinance setting new mayor/commission salaries and inserted an amendment allowing any elected official to opt out and direct the additional pay to a nonprofit; the amendment passed 3-2.
The City of North Lauderdale Commission on July 29 adopted a second-reading ordinance that sets new base salaries and benefits for the mayor and commissioners following a voter-approved charter amendment. Commissioners also approved, by a 3-2 vote, a late amendment allowing elected officials to decline the new compensation and publicly direct the funds to a not-for-profit of their choice.
Under the ordinance — adopted at second reading — the salary schedule established new compensation levels and included implementation details for cell-phone and car-allowance stipends. City staff said the change implements a voter-approved charter amendment from November 2024 and must be adopted to meet charter and disclosure timelines.
During public comment, resident Carol Shane urged transparency about where the new money would come from and asked whether the increases would force service cuts or taxes. "Where's the money coming from?" Shane asked at the meeting, noting the jump in total compensation under the proposal.
The commission voted first to adopt the ordinance as presented, then later approved an amendment requiring any commissioner who wishes to decline the new pay to file written notice with the city clerk within 30 days of the ordinance’s effective date and to make a public declaration at a regular meeting directing how the funds will be redirected. City staff said the amendment was designed to preserve transparency and ensure that unallocated funds not automatically lapse without a public direction from the elected official.
The opt-out process adopted by the commission requires the official to state publicly whether the pay should be donated and to identify the receiving not-for-profit; if no direction is provided, staff said the funds would not be disbursed until the commission reviews options.
Ending The ordinance will take effect in accordance with the charter timetable; the new disclosure and voluntary opt-out procedure is now part of the city's rules for implementing elected-official compensation.
