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Charter reviewers split over codifying council pay; propose Blue Ribbon advisory option
Summary
The commission debated whether to fix council salaries in the charter or create a Blue Ribbon Committee to recommend pay and benefits, noting an existing ordinance lists monthly pay and that benefits (health insurance) are recent; members requested sample committee structures and examples.
Members of the Fort Myers Beach Charter Review Commission spent substantial time discussing Section 4.05 on compensation and benefits, weighing whether to codify salaries in the charter or create a Blue Ribbon Committee to review and recommend compensation periodically.
Commissioners noted an existing ordinance, section 2‑19, presently states specific monthly pay levels: “all council members except the mayor shall be paid $1,200 per month. The mayor shall be paid $1,400 per month,” and that the charter would supersede ordinance language. Amy told the commission staff is working to update ordinances and could provide copies of Form 8 and other materials.
Arguments split. Some members favored leaving baseline language in the charter with automatic COLA adjustments; others preferred a Blue Ribbon Committee to benchmark pay against the market and make recommendations. One commissioner warned of poor optics if the council directly appointed a committee that would ultimately influence their own pay. Another asked that any recommendation include benefits (health insurance) as well as salary.
Chair concluded the commission will prepare examples of Blue Ribbon committee structures and peer comparators for a future meeting, and staff will provide packet materials on current ordinance language and recent salary comparisons.
No formal vote was taken. The commission agreed to gather more materials and return with specific drafts and committee examples before making a recommendation to the town council.
