The debate among the Pensacola City Council members over creating a new council staff isn’t just about certain members wanting to build a power base. It’s about coming up with a way for certain council members to justify increasing their salaries.
The reality is the council has less responsibilities under the new charter. They may not even need all their current committees.They can debate most issues under the Committee of the Whole and the CRA. Heck, they may need to hold only one regular meeting a month, like the School Board.
This pay increase issue may be what’s decide who will be the first council president. That election appears to be shaping up between Sam Hall and Maren DeWeese. DeWeese made it clear at yesterday’s workshop that she will not support a pay increase for council members. It may cost her the spot.