The Pensacola City Council has on its agenda an ordinance that changes the mayor’s annual salary from $134,000 to the same formula as the Superintendent of Schools.  The pay change would go into effect after the November 2026 election. If the salary formula was effective for this year, the mayor’s salary would increase to $168,185—a 20% jump.

Background: The practice of determining the compensation of Florida’s county constitutional officers by state law was sanctioned by the Constitution of 1885 and has been maintained since the 1968 constitutional revision. However, it was not until 1973 that the Legislature authorized the salary compensation formula that was the precursor to its present form.

Prior to 1984, the Florida Department of Community Affairs calculated salaries for county constitutional officers; however, that authority was deleted from law during the 1984 legislative session.13 From 1985 through 2009, the former Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations continued the annual salary calculations. As a continuing service to the Legislature, county governments, and school districts, the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research (EDR) has made the annual calculations since 2010.

Using the Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research formula ties the salary to the city’s population.

Pensacola City Council

The Pensacola City Council has seen its salaries change twice since the strong-mayor charter passed in 2009.

• In July 2016, the council increased its pay. Mayor Ashton Hayward proposed increasing the salary to $23,998.14 in his FY 2017 budget. However, the council passed an ordinance raising members’ annual salaries to $21,500 – the salary had been $13,998.

The 2020 Charter Review Committee recommended basing the council’s compensation annually on the Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research formula for school board members. The amendment went into effect after the 2024 election. For FY 2025-2026, the council salary is $38,204—a 44% increase.

From August 2014:

Outtakes—Give The Mayor A Raise

The Pensacola City Council needs to increase the mayor’s salary. At $100,000 a year, it’s far too low for the demands placed on the office.

The city of Pensacola controls assets that are critical to the growth of our economy—Pensacola International Airport, Port of Pensacola, Pensacola Bay waterfront and Maritime Park. The mayor, by virtue of being the chief executive officer of the city, plays a major role in most economic development efforts in Northwest Florida. He needs to be paid more.

The Pensacola City Council set the mayor’s salary in 2010. The council looked at the salaries of the mayors of Mobile, Ala. ($89,000), Plantation, Fla. ($117,221), Hialeah, Fla. ($155,250) and other cities. They decided that $100,000 was appropriate compensation considering the city’s population, 54,925.

The decision was made over the objections of the Pensacola Charter Review Commission that had recommended $145,000. Charter Commission Chairman Crystal Spencer argued that the commission wanted to attract qualified candidates from the private sector to a position that came with considerably more responsibility than the ceremonial mayor under the city-manager form of government.

After observing the mayor’s new role over the past four years, I agree with the charter commission that the job deserves a higher salary. For the city to be a major player in the region, the mayor must be able to act on a global scale and represent the city on a much larger stage than ever before.

The city is fortunate that Ashton Hayward was willing to give up some of his prime earning years to serve, and his challenger this year, Donna Clark, has agreed to do the same. However, we may not be so lucky in future elections.

The mayor’s pay needs to be more in line with the county’s constitutional officers. Clerk of Courts Pam Childers, Tax Collector Janet Holley and Property Appraiser Chris Jones make $134,760. Sheriff David Morgan makes $143,676. The head of Pensacola’s city government should have a salary somewhere in that ballpark.

We don’t want a salary that is so lucrative that people would run solely for the paycheck, but we do want people who are worthy of such compensation.

This city budget cycle is the time for the Pensacola City Council to discuss this issue. If they can look past the personalities and current conflicts, I think they will agree the salary needs to be higher.

After all, you get what you pay for.

Note: Since I wrote this column, the salaries of the constitutional officers have risen:

Clerk of Court Pam Childers: $182,903

Tax Collector Scott Lunsford: $211,197

Property Appraiser Bubba Peters: $182,903

Sheriff Chip Simmons: $251,373