Home  News Local News $46,000 salary increase
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Sunday, 19 October 2008 |
The recently appointed Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry received an 18.8 percent salary raise on being named to the post in which she previously served as interim administrator. Reports are that Henry earned an annual salary of $244,000, and has been allocated a salary of $290,000 on being permanently assigned.
This compared to the salary of $232,500 that was paid to her predecessor, Pam Brangaccio who resigned her post after being faced with dismissal from county commissioners.
An editorial was published in the Sun Sentinel on Tuesday criticizing the significant pay-raise made to Henry while the country was cutting staff, reducing several county services. It was reported that Henry responded to the criticisms by saying that the salary was justified as she worked hard, often 12-14 hour days and sometimes six and seven days a week.
Henry said her package was justified, when compared to other government administrators in comparably sized areas. She said she didn’t press hard for other employment benefits. For example, she said she settled for six months’ severance pay if she were fired without cause, unlike others county administrators who have 12-18 month severance packages.
She also said she doesn’t get a predetermined expense account (unlike Miami-Dade county manager George Burgess, who gets $3,000 a month) and she doesn’t submit expenses for meals with other officials when business is discussed.
It is understood that several county employees are upset about the double standard between the salaries paid to senior officials at the county offices compared to the rank-and-file. The workers mood has not been eased by the fact that the county is still to conclude the matter of salary increases for county employees for the budget year that started Oct 1. There are reports that some non-union employees have been told to expect a salary freeze, while those who are unionized could get just a 2 percent increase.
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