Heard that there is another employee being considered for over $200,000. THAT IS TOO MUCH. I was disappointed to see Chip make that much. Please don't do it again!
The average HOUSEHOLD income in Miami Dade County is $41,533. Households making above $150,000 annually is 6.5%. 18.2% of households make less than $14,990.
In the City of Miami a whopping 28% of the people make less that $14,999 annually. Only 7% of the people make over $150,000. And the median income for a household in the City is $28,999. (2010 Census).
These people DO NOT UNDERSTAND big salaries. Especially a salary to one person that is almost $200,000 more than their entire household income. It is hard to swallow when you make so little. Yes I think Gimenez needs qualified people but he is between a rock and a hard place. I don't think he can reason with his constituents on this sticking point.
48 comments:
Carlos Gimenez is quickly looking like Carlos Alvarez.
Public Service is supposed to mean public service not a way to get rich at the expense of the taxpayers.
The salary cap at the White House is $170,000.
No one at the County should have a salary over $150,000. Remember the benefits add another $75,000 to $100,000 onto the backs of the over burdened taxpayers.
If an applicant doesn't like $150,000 plus benefits, tell them to try to find a job in the private sector.
If Gimenez keeps this up he'll never win in 2012.
CARLOS GIMENEZ = CARLOS ALVAREZ SAMO SAMO
Gimenez said he will be hiring 4 or 5 Deputy Mayors. So if he hires one at $225k, doesn't he have to hire them all at $225k?
225K is reasonable for a senior post in Miami-Dade. This government is large and very complex and this level of compensation reflects the market for municipal senior officials.
The comparison to the White House is silly. Spending a year at the WH writes a lifelong ticket of influential jobs.
You get what you pay for. Running a multi-billion dollar organization with 25,000+ employees is not an easy task. Besides, his term is only for 14 months, so why would an experienced administrator take a risk to come to Miami-Dade at a discount rate?
Carlos Gimenez is a fireman with a $4 MILLION pension from the City of Miami. He just hired another fireman, Chip, for $225,000. Bad precedent.
Gimenez needs to show he cares about being fiscally responsible, not just making more rich firemen richer.
What ever happened to the concept of public service?
There is nothing wrong with paying a quarter million dollars for a skilled and experienced administrator. Many top-level county employees work long hours and deserve every penny they earn. OTOH, there are many that could be replaced and are hardly seen at the 111 building. The big question (one of many) is how many departments will Gimenez pare? The number of DMs should depend on the number of departments. Each DM could handle about 7 departments.
Very disappointing... He's hiring his friends
On the county's dime. 200 K plus benefits? Fiscal
Responsibility? Please. The only reason he's
Gimenez is cutting his own salary is because he's already
Making hundreds of thousands of dollars in
Retirement benefits from his previous county and
Municipal work. The ultimate bureaucrat.
The tax payers can't catch a break!
Hey Genius! What's the deal with Deputy Mayors now?
Remember, when Alvarez gave those raises to certain people, he did so while actually cutting the entire budget of the 29th floor by $2 million over 2 years.
Gimenez will probably try to explain the situation in a similar way, as in, "Who cares how much I pay certain people, if I have less people and a smaller budget"
I word of advice to the new Mayor... People didn't care if you cut the office budget, all they see are the 4 or 5 salaries that they deem to be exorbitant.
Ask Alvarez, the media and the public don't care about the big picture, they just focus their ire on whatever irks them.
M
Go speak with Gimenez and unless you are on the same page as him, he is just not listening. He is surrounding himself with those that are on the same page as him.
The problem is newly appointed Deputy Mayor Alina Hudak. She was making $264,343 in September as an Asst County Manager and she is certainly making at least that now after her County Manager stint.
For some odd reason, Gimenez thinks Hudak is now his loyal supporter (Lol!) and he has hired her to serve as one of his Deputy Mayors. Because Hudak reportedly refuses to accept a pay cut, other hirees are expecting parity with her excessive salary. As they say, a rising tide lifts all boats.
If Gimenez is "surrounding himself with those that are on the same page as him," why one earth are people like Alina Hudak, Ysela Llort, Susie Trutie, and all those snotnosed assistants to the county manager (Morlote, Bustamante, Pinzur, etc.) still there? They mocked Gimenez as a commissioner. I'm sure those leopards haven't changed their spots.
who is the new employee?
I for one want quality staff running the county and don't care that they be properly compensated so long as they are qualified and not cronies. People forget that the Miami-Dade is a water utility, airport, seaport, transit agency, police department, fire department, solid waste department, that are usually separate entities in other places. I think the Miami-Dade model probably saves us in the end.
I think we should just appoint Genius to determine how much salaries ought to be. In fact why not just public sector jobs, but private Jobs as well. Maybe he can set tax rates as well. Perhaps, it would just make sense to centrally plan all employment activity.
21 White House staff members make over $172K. The rest have averaged an 8% annual salary. Given the state of affairs in this country (9.1% unemployment, failed stimulus, new war in Libya). Is this correct amount of money to pay these people.
In the end, they will all end up going to Goldman Sacs & make millions with their connections and "sweetheart deals". (a la Robert Rubin & Rahm Emanuel).
Its all a scam. carlos gimenez = carlos alvarez. No one spends money to lose money. All politicians are in it for the money and the power. Scarface Tony Montana said "first you get the money then you get the power." He will continue to pad county hall with new and the existing cronies. La maraña is in town. We are saving $120.00 a year in taxes and are losing 800 jobs in the county. Little people only of course.
Lets look at all of those who retired on County Pensions and then came back to work for the county like a county attorney. Why doesn't anyone ask about them?
We are going to miss alvarez when all of this is said and done. Norman? Norman? Bueler? Bueler? Esto es las misma mierda en diferente envace.
How come no one is looking at all the stupid county contracts that are like the old federal ones with $600.00 hammers and $10,000.00 jump seats?
This will not get better until you get people with integrity.
A little bird told me that the new hire is going to be Marcelo Llorente. He is going to work for Carlos Alvarez, sorry, Carlos Gimenez LOL
M has it right.
Here is the problem for Gimenez. What is the average salary for Miami-- about $38,000? The people don't understand big salaries. It is plain and simple the people resent a salary over a certain point. Yes I think Gimenez needs qualified people but he is between a rock and a hard place. I don't think he can reason with his constituents on this sticking point. I don't know how he can win. Maybe he needs people that use public service as a stepping stone instead of a career. County salaries have been too inflated at the top. Let the air out.
I just looked it up. The average HOUSEHOLD income in Miami Dade County is $41,533.
Household making above $150,000 annually 6.5%
In the City of Miami a whopping 28% of the people make less that $14,999 annually. Only 7% of the people make over $150,000. And the median income for a household $28,999.
These people DO NOT UNDERSTAND, big salaries... Salaries to one person that is almost $200,000 more than their entire household income.
Didn't the former and first "Deputy Mayor" (the former and last "County Manager") Burgess make well over $300K with a package that took him to over $400K?
We do have to pay competitively. We cannot live in fear of the Tea Baggers. Please realize that the Tea Party wants to dumb down everything to Walmart salaries and, therefore, Walmart drone mentalities.
They are not for smaller government. They are mindless anarchists marching to the drum beat of their billionaire puppet masters.
Not getting it comment above -- these are not tea baggers.
They are poor Hispanics that voted to oust Alvarez in part for high salaries given. The very same people who wanted to see a change not more of the same. Because Mayor Alvarez did it is no defense.
He can cut the budget in half but the people are gong to look at salaries awarded. It is human nature. They make more than me, too much more than me. A two million budget cut doesn't resonate as much as a $200,000 salary. It sounds too much like what Alvarez did to get recalled.
Alvarez did not get recalled only because of high salaries. While the irresponsible hiring and ridiculous salaries did play a part, it was the complete sellout of the county to special interests that pissed people off. Starting with the moronic decisions on the stadium deal. Not to mention raising taxes to supposedly not cut services and then cutting services.
The high salaries was the catalyst, the icing on the cake. The stadium vote was about a year before, it was when the Morales stuff began that he was in immediate trouble -- the tax raise at the same time he made the salary raises to his staff.
The hiring of Marcelo Llorente would be a mistake. To give someone that position, and that salary, who does not have any semblance of experience working for the County is a slap in the face to all of those who have worked hard at Miami-Dade County and have seen massive salary and benefit cuts.
The County is a $7 billion operation. You can't suffer a brain drain. You have to keep some people through senior positions. You can joke all you want about "lifers," but you cannot run this government with experience under 10 years at your senior helm.
You have to separate your personal dislike for some of those who work in the County and figure what it would cost to hold qualified people there. Perhaps we would not be filling these jobs with high paid cronies if we respected at least the position if not the people and paid a competative salary.
Cut salaries to under $100K? And then you wonder why people leave (for example) DERM, their job protecting the environment and go to work in the private sector assisting the developers in spoiling the environment. Where do you think the experts come from that screw up the wetlands? Most, if not all, were trained by the County at taxpayer expense.
Do you think these developer attorneys, like those at Biltzen, Sumberg, would work for what we pay the assistant County Attorneys? Heck no, and I would love to make what the senior ACAs make, but the private sector land use attorney's are making much, much more. You want to put up a recent law school grad against the big boys (and big girls)?
Either we have professional level government or it becomes a joke like the State attorney's office were you are either a division chief or you put in 3 years of trial training at taxpayer expense then become a real lawyer in the private sector. Did you ever stop to realize that this example is one reason why defense beats prosecution in far too many cases?
You can't have it both ways. Maybe you should look at the commensurate private sector pay for those leaving government and going private then determine whether you want to pay to keep some or just keep turning them over every 3 -5 years once they are trained and obtain the contacts.
I can't imagine a 3 - 5 year police officer handing a major homicide. Can you imagine a 3 - 5, or even a 10 year employee preparing the County Budget each year?
You can say yes, but it is not sustainable. We all would like everyone else to take a huge paycut and pass those savings on to us, but my yard man (who, BTW, has build his operation into a major private employer) is not going to accept $10 to cut my lawn. He has costs.
Finally, quit approving and asking for all these new programs. Voters approved making the Children's Trust with over 80% of the vote. There is a half cent right there. Where is that going? Stop approving transportation sales tax increases.
The recent voters have been the enablers to all this foolish spending.
Maybe it's time for regional boards to take over seaport, airport, solid waste, etc. and disbanding the power these commissioners have over their contracts lessening the load on county admin. staff. It is time to take away BCC power so the county can be trimmed once and for all otherwise you will be hearing these same arguments for higher salaries. Start thinking about charter changes to the county commission and strip their power. The county won't need as many cronies if that happens and budgets can be dumbed down for the average citizen to understand. Right now the ball is in the crony court = they encourage confusion and high stakes strategic planning budgets to ensure their jobs are protected since they know they are the only ones that can understand that blabber.
to "The County is a $7 billion operation.".... YES, you have it correct. I second this statement
$7 billion operation people you are missing the point.
We are not dealing with logical people. They see a few salaries over what they consider fair and they will start hating Gimenez. Their library closed but he hired 3 guys making over $200,000 (which seems to be the magic number defining excess). The Lazaro Gonzalez crowd is not going to like it. you heard it here first. High salaries make people mad. You can justify it to me and our readers all you want, it won't do any good. Remember I did not vote or support the recall of the last mayor. But then my household income is not too shabby. I am not one of the 28% making under $14,999 a year.
Genius, I do get it, but you have to do the right thing and not the populist thing sometimes. There are a bunch of ignorant a-holes out there who believe you can cut taxes and yet increase services. They are called Bell supporters. It is always someone Else's fault. "Its the liberals." "Its the teachers", or "police" or "firefighters" There is never going to please these people.
There is an art to leadership to make the case that you are properly outfitting this government. Mayor Gimenez will have to make the case. Mayor Alvarez failed to do this to his downfall.
You cannot appease the Tea Baggers. They are nuts. Nutty and I am still waiting for US Rep West as to when he is going to put forward legislation cutting the salary of the US Congress, placing them all under the Social Security system and taking them out of their unique government subsidized healthcare. Until he does that, he remains like all other tea baggers, fucking (a Genius oft used word) ignorant hypocrites.
I want a well run government, not a government run into the ground. We all need to work together to get this thing running and Gimenez was a great start. Thank goodness (actually thank GoD as in this blog for much of the help) and I for one am pleased that the Julio Robaina/Bell/Seijas unholey trinity is starting to lose its grip.
I suggest that the Tea Baggers move to a county of their dreams: no regulation, zoning, growth management or over paid police with take home cars, no over paid fire or whiny teachers. We all know where we can find the best example of the Tea Party paradise: Somolia. Pick a warlord and go for it.
CARLOS ALVAREZ = CARLOS GIMENEZ
If re-election isn't an issue: hire away! They are not tea party people, I already said that. The tea party is a class onto it's own...working class reneck Republicans mainly. Mostly whites ( of which Miami only has about 17% whites).
Genius point taken.
To anon poster: the only reason the county is a 7 billion dollar operation is because of years of Faux growth from the housing bubble and the injection of money from developers. All of the increased tax revenue plus impact fees, etc have now dried up. And therefore it's only logical that since the private sector income and housing in this community has shrunk, that the local Govt shrink as well. Particularly if we lower taxes for those who can pay them and further shrink the taxes collected.
It is not wise to dole out these salaries, particularly with the sweetheart pensions pubic servants receive.
Between the economic havoc and displacement caused by the over development and production of housing and CRE and the years of poor financial decisions and graft from our local Govt... There have to be lean years ahead if we are to recover. It doesn't take a genius ( no pun intended to our host ) or financial wizards to right the ship. It takes an understanding of sound budgeting and the ability to be honest and make tough decisions. Hopefully Gimenez turns out to be that guy.
I am waiting for some great advise from great observations. I hear to much of "i don;t like this or that" but nothing about where the cuts should be. You think capping slaries to $100K brings us doen to a $4 billion government. To many vetos and not enough productive ideas.
I think it would be productive to have a post where people post their plans for reducing the budget. We know we just can't dust off the 1991 budget, gas, insuramce, tires, etc, cost far more then they did back then.
I would like to see the math of reducing the number of people than make over $100K to a flat $100K - apply that to the budget and see where you end up.
Let's stop the bitching and start offering some real solutions.
Many don't realize how many
$150,000+ and $200,000+ salaries are already in place. For example:
Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department:
1. Director: $250,000
2. Deputy Director: $230,000 (Former Assistant County Manager)
3. 2nd Deputy Director: $230,000. (Had retired, finished DROP, currently drawing huge retirement - was called back to the County)
4. Seven Assistant Directors: Each making $160,000+
5. Assistant to the Director: $167,000
6. Each Assistant Director has at least one "Assistant to the Assistant Director" and at least one Executive Secretary
Each of the above has "Executive Benefits" and car allowances (between $300 and $500 per month)
Since they don't report their time off (sick or vacation) they cash in on those when they leave. (Please do not even try to deny this. It is a quid pro quo between the bosses and their secretaries who submit payroll every two weeks)
Here's advice:
"Perception is reality"
And when the public is sick and tired, and suspects all government is crooked, it is time to change the image. Every private-sector company knows this.
Of course lowering the $225,000 salaries at the top to $100,000 and cutting benefits etc., won't affect the budget that much, but it will help simmer the taxpayers' anger which has reached the boiling point.
Is it true that Gimenez appointed Alina Hudak Vice-Mayor? Is that confirmed?
Ridiculous!Frightening! Disgusting!
Why did we go through the recall?
It's not a matter of like or dislike. It's a matter of reality.
I've had a significant drop in household income the past two years due to job loss and career change. I had to change the way I spent and my family spent. We cut vacations, cut back on luxuries, reprioritize, dine out less, held back on home improvement plans, increase deductibles on insurance plans, etc.
How would I do it at the county? What specific suggestions would I have?... Same way as I and thousands and thousands of people have to do it everyday... It starts with a budget based on reality and not political expediency. Unlike a personal budget a County budget is obviously more complex, but the ultimate principles are the same. Ultimately it has to be adjusted in mid to long term timeframe. It is unreasonable and abusive to just slash and burn services and programs in one fell swoop. It should be a gradual scale back of expenditures, including the top brass salaries and benefit packages. Bottomline is that as a country and a community we want everything NOW and don't want to take our medicine for the fiscal mess our leaders have concocted over the years.
$230,000 is too much. Not happy with Gimenez for this. We have people with Doctorate degrees working in school system for under $100,000 and aids in White House working for less than $170,000.
And I am a Gimenez supporter. Gimenez staff, are you reading this?
A lot of great points made here. It's good to see dialect on great issues. The high Salaries are a thing of the past. The US and around the world are in a great recession. I was hoping that with new leadership Miami would show how we could run budget. The City manager + other top administrative jobs have to be capped (anything over $125m is a joke). Trust me when I tell you, these jobs are very far & few in today world. Leave you say, to where, all cities are having problems. You have many qualified people in the private sector that are unemployed that would gladly do that job.They definitely need to look at pensions. You cannot have Mayors, Police /Fire/ Top administrative employees, working 20-years then saying adios, where's my pension. This country cannot sustain these kind of benefits riding on the backs of tax payers. It's not just our county, it's the state, the federal government as well. Pensions for government workers were started long ago when people got into politics for good reason, and made very little money. That is not the case in today's world, where the government salaries & benefits are surpassing the private sector at an alarming rate.
Private sectors are having a hard time maintaining their pensions with losses. Theoretically, you invest the pension and would like to get a 7% return, wouldn't we all. Time to move forward Miami...Time to move forward US. Get back to saving real jobs & realistic salaries. The government waste pointed out on vehicles has been an on going issue.**Disappointed** Election is next year...
Gimenez is screwing up already...
Firing fire buddies at inflated pay and benefits?
Not smart.
Hiring fire buddies...
Why doesn't Gimenez fire 2,000 incompetent County employees and sell off 2,000 vehicles from the County fleet?
$400 mil deficit. Might be worse.
Gimenez needs to hire some sharks not more fire union types.
In support of Anon: "alot of good points are made here..."
I am offended by these salaries and you are right. You could cut these salaries in half and a lot of these people would stay. Where else would they go? To another struggling county or municipality. This is the new reality, baby. Salaries gotta come way down. Maybe then you could keep a few more at the bottom that are really providing front line services too.
We are all doomed with these banana republic politics.
This Friday, February 10, 2102, Miami Dade County Water and Sewer gave a 5% salary increase to Customer Service Reps II retroactive from August 2011. This is disgusting. If there is no money and our salaries keep getting cuts why do some and not all get the 5% retro ? The Director, Renfrow doesnt care what the Mayor, Commissioners or employees think, he keeps re-classifying HIS people !!!!!
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