02-17-1969 - Public Hearing/Charter
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A PUBLIC HEARING ON
TWO PROPOSED CHARTER CHANGES
FEBRUARY 17, 1969
7:30 P.M.
CHARTER NO. 1.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT AMENDING SECTION I OF HOUSE BILL 12XX,
LAWS OF FLORIDA, SPECIAL ACTS 1967, AMENDING SECTION 8 OF CHAPTER
27532, LAWS OF FLORDDA, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE FIXING OF
COMPENSATION OF MAYOR AND COUNCILMEN.
The above charter change was read by Attonngy Bharles Hall. He
then stated that there has been a proposal to raise the salaries
of the Councilmen and the Mayor, raising them to $150.00 per
month for the Mayor and $100.00 per month for the Councilmen.
Mr. Bebbington: I would like to know why we're going from $25.00
per month to $100.00?
Councilman Dietz: I feel this way, I think $100.00 is kind of a
waste of time. ~ believe it should be more and not from the stand
point of what I will get from it or this Council will get from it,
but what we can produce in the future. We piddled around with this
city now for 10 or 12 months and we haven't accomplished a lot.
We haven't been able to get qualified men to run for office, because
we've been underpaid. If we would get a pay scale in here we would
have a better city. You only get what you pay for and don't you
ever forget that.
Mr. Bebbington: In otherwords, you're saying that everyone before
you was a bum?
Councilman Dietz: No Sir. I included mysi~f.
Mr. Paul Walls: You say that $100.00 per month is ample for a good
qualified Councilman?
Councilman Dietz: No Sir. I did not say that.
Mr. Paul Walls: I believe the office of Councilman is an office
of civic pride and not mne of an economical or financial basis.
I believe a man devotes his time to this job simply becasue he
loves his City and not for the pay he receives for it.
Councilman Dietz: Listen Mr. Walls, I think that you will agree
and live heard this from Mr. Lodico many times. I will tell you
now and every man on here will also tell you, when you're working
for the city you take a lot of your time and there is a lot of
wear and tear on your car along with the use of gas, which you have
to buy yourself. I can afford it but there~ a lot who are qualified
who can't afford it, so that's the problem we're running into.
We've got to get this thing up to where we can get men who can
afford to take this job and not put out of their pockets. They cna
can not take money out of their pockets and live and survive at
the same time. I can afford it and you can also.
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Mr. Lodico: You think that $75.00 above what you're getting
now would get you men capable of affording the position? If
he couldn't afford the $25.00, do you think the $75.00 would
save his skin?
Councilman Dietz: Listen Jake. I didn't say this was going
to make anyone rich. If I had my way about it and presented
it to the Council, I think it should be based on a percentage
of what the budget is set at and that the Council should be paid
at a percentage of the budget. As time goes on, our budget
is going to get greater and greater and every time we want
a pay increase, then welre going to have to have another change
in the charter.
Mr. Lodico: What guarantee do we have of how many hours you
or anybody else will turn into the City for their $100.00 or
their $25.00 a month.
Councilman Dietz: It's not a matter of guarantee, it's a
matter of interest and what you can afford to do.
Mr. Paul Walls: Okey. Lets say we draw $150.00 a month. You're
still out of balance. The Mayor is spending hours and hours
in the office every day so I think your ratio is wrong.
Councilman Dietz: I think this is a very unbalanced thing. I
think it is too low, but this Council has decided on these figures.
We set it orginally at $125.00 and what was the other?
Councilman Dimm: I think $175.00 or $150.00. Each Councilman
put in their own figures and this is what they all balanced
out to. I realize that it is not quite the exact figure that
we should use, but its a step forward. I think that in 18
years it's going to make a little bit of a change and you Mr.
Bebbington said something about not being able to afford it or
something. Certainly we can afford it. WE can go on this way.
This can't go into effect until it goes before the legislature
and then the public votes on it, so it wouldn't affect the
present Council. My term is up in November. This can't go into
effect until after November. I still want it for the persons
who follow me.
Mr. Armstrong: I was for this in 1965 and my records show that
the bill then was defeated by 106 votes for and 338 against and
we only wanted half of what youlre asking for now. 11m fn
favor of it.
Mayor Cairnie: I personally told the Council that I was against
the increase of the salaries to $150.00 a month and I have a
good reason for doing this. The $150.00 a month is $1,800.00 a
year and a good many retired people who could run for Mayor, would
loose their Social Security and lets face it, to be a Mayor of
a City you have to be on a somewhat retired basis. I do believe
that there should be an increase in salaries and at that time I
stated that the Councilmens salaries should be raised to $50.00
and the Mayors to $100,00.
A QUESTION WAS ASKED WHY THER COULDN'T BE 3 CHOIGES PLACED ON THE
BALLET SO THAT THE PEOPLE COULD MAKE THE DeCISION. THIS WAS
ANSWERED BY COUNCILMAN DIETZ. HE SAID THAT THERE WOULDN"T BE
ENOUGHTROOM ON THE BALLET.
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Mayor Cairnie asked Mr. Armstrong if this wasnlt done in 1965
and he answered yes, that there was and all of them were
defeated.
Councilman Dimm: I'm willing to gamble. If they want to give
it to us then they can, if not that's all right too.
The Mayor asked ifrthere were any ~ore questions on this proposed
charter change, and there being none went on to the second proposed
charter.
CHARTER II.
A bill to be entitled AN ACT AMENDING SUB-SECTION (16) OF
SECTION 7 OF CHAPTER 27532, lAWS OF FLORIDA, SPECIAL ACTS 1951,
RELATING TO WEED CLEARANCE UPON LANDS, LOTS AND OTHER PREMISES
WITHINc THE CITY OF EDGEWATER, REQUIRING SAID LANDS, LOTS AND
OTHER PREMISES TO BEY KEPT CLEAN, SANITARY AND FREE FROM WEEKS,
TO MAKE THEM SO AT THE EXPENSE OF THE OWNER, TO ASSESS THE COST
THEREOF AGAINST SAID PROPERTY, PROVIDING THAT THE CITY MAY HAVE
AND HOLD A LIEN FOR SAID EXPENSE INCURRED AND PROVIDING A MANNER
AND METHOD OF ENFORCING SIAD LIEN FOR EXPENSES INCURRED IN CLEAN-
ING PROPERTY AND LOTS AND MAKING THE SAME SANITARY AND FREE FROM
WEEDS.
Councilman Dimm: There becomes quite a problem on this weed
cutting thing and welre coming into the summer again and its
going to be here again. I will say it is the biggest headache
live had as a Councilman. When you come into the City Ha~l
and read the names off of the people requesting that their
lots next to them be cut, you say what's the use to cut them.
We can't collect on them anyhow. Now how long can we go on
cutting for nothing and this is what we~re trying to avoid.
The Mayor asked if there were any more questions or discussion
and there bejng none, the Mayor adjourned the meeting.
Time of Adjournment 8:00 P.M.
Minutes taken by Betty E. Martz
ATTEST:
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lE Sle L. Ward, City Clerk
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