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Commission approves raises for city manager and city attorney after six‑month reviews
Summary
After six‑month performance reviews, the New Smyrna Beach City Commission unanimously approved raises and retirement adjustments for City Manager Kevin Cowper and City Attorney Carrie Avalon. Commissioners cited competitive pay and retention concerns; the moves were adopted by roll call vote.
The New Smyrna Beach City Commission on March 11 voted unanimously to increase pay for its city manager and city attorney after HR presented six‑month performance evaluations and market comparisons.
The commission approved a motion to raise City Manager Kevin Cowper’s compensation to a comparator in the low‑to‑mid $233,000 range and to increase his retirement contribution to 22%. Director of Human Resources (Director Kidd) had presented a cumulative performance average of 4.5 for Cowper and shared comparator data showing a higher average among similar municipalities. Commissioner McGurk said Cowper had “done an outstanding job” and that the city should pay competitively to retain talent. The motion passed on a roll‑call vote with all five commissioners voting yes.
Commissioners next considered the city attorney’s review. HR reported a cumulative average score of 4.4 for Carrie Avalon and provided local salary comparators. Commissioner Perrine moved to increase Avalon’s salary to the $220,000 range and align her car allowance with the city manager’s; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Why it matters: Commissioners framed the measures as retention and competitiveness steps after the city had experienced staffing and leadership turnover in recent months. Several commissioners said higher pay reflected above‑average performance and the complexity of managing city operations.
What they said: Commissioner McGurk praised the manager’s early results, saying, “You have batted 1.000 as far as I’m concerned,” and Commissioner Ashley called Cowper’s early performance “tremendous.” Dr. Kidd noted that the manager’s contract allowed consideration of a merit increase after six months. On the attorney, Commissioner Perrine said Avalon’s experience and ability to keep the city out of litigation merited the recommended adjustment.
Procedure and next steps: Both actions were formal motions recorded by roll call and carry immediate effect as agreed under contract terms. Additional details on exact dollar amounts, effective dates, and administrative paperwork were directed to city staff for finalization and to be reflected in the personnel and budget records.
