Cape Coral mayoral candidates differ on council pay

PEOPLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. >> $30,000 A YEAR BECAUSE IT’S PART TIME THEY’RE NOT ENTITLED TO THIS MONEY. >> ONE OF THE CANDIDATES FOR CAPE CORAL MAYOR KAREN ROGERS HAS PROPOSED TRIPLING CITY COUNCIL SALARIES RIGHT NOW. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MAKE ABOUT 33,000 THAT WOULD INCREASE TO 99,000. IF THIS PROPOSAL IS APPROVED. MAYOR JOHN GUNTER MAKES ABOUT $37,000 A YEAR RIGHT NOW, THE PROPOSAL WOULD INCREASE THAT SALARY TO 111,000. IF RODGERS PLAN DOES GO THROUGH, WOULD COST THE CITY 536,000 TAX DOLLARS PER YEAR. TONIGHT, GULF COAST NEWS REPORTER KENNEDY MASON IS LIVE IN OUR STUDIO WITH REACTION TO THE PLAN. >> HERE, ALL 3 MAYORAL CANDIDATES AGREE THOSE NUMBERS NEED TO BE RAISED. BUT BY HOW MUCH IS WHERE THEY DIFFER? SOME RESIDENTS SAY THEY DON’T AGREE WITH THE RAYS AT ALL. >> CAPE CORAL RESIDENT JOHN LAU IS SAYING NO TO A RAISE FOR COUNCIL $30,000 A YEAR BECAUSE IT’S PART TIME. BUT CAPE CORAL MAYORAL CANDIDATE KAREN ROGERS IS RECOMMENDING COUNCIL GETS PAID TRIPLE WHAT THEY DO NOW. I THINK THAT WE WOULD ULTIMATELY SEE ON THE BACK END THE SAVINGS FROM THAT. SHE SAYS THE AMOUNT OF WORK THEY PUT IN MAKES IT MORE LIKE A FULL-TIME JOB. A JOB ALREADY DONE BY THE CITY MANAGER. I FEEL LIKE WE CITIZENS WOULD BE ABLE TO DEMAND MORE FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT JUST WORKING PART-TIME. IT’S NOT JUST COMMUNITY SERVICE. IT’S THEIR JOB, THEIR FULL-TIME JOB, CAPE CORAL MAYORAL CANDIDATE RICHARD LEONE AGREES. WE DON’T WANT TO BE PAYING PEOPLE. >> YOU KNOW, PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR AND EXPECT THEM TO HELP RUNNERS CITY BECAUSE THEY’RE JUST WE KNOW WE’RE NOT GOING TO GET THE RIGHT CANDIDATES FOR THAT. BUT HE THINKS SALARY SHOULD BE DOUBLE INSTEAD OF TRIPLE. HE’S ON THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION WHICH HAS PUT OUT A PROPOSAL. THEY ARE RECOMMENDING THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PAID $70,000 ANNUALLY. AND THE MAYOR $80,000 HAVING SAT ON THAT POSITION SPECIALLY FOR $17,000 A YEAR FOR MY FIRST 2 YEARS. IT REALLY DOES NOT AFFORD THAT. LAST YEAR COUNCIL VOTED TO GIVE THEMSELVES A STIPEND. IT DOUBLED THEIR PAY FROM 40,000 TO 80,000 MAYOR JOHN GUNTER AT MIT’S. HE COULD HAVE GIVEN THE PEOPLE MORE OF A SAY, I CAN SHOW THAT DATA. >> THAT SHOWS THAT THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS THAT DISCUSSED ARE IN LINE WITH OTHER CITIES OF SIMILAR SIZE OF OURS COULD HAVE DID BETTER WHEN IT COME TO THE STIPEND AND HOW WE PRESENTED. >> ALL 3 MAYORAL CANDIDATES SAY RESIDENTS SHOULD HAVE A SAY THIS TIME AROUND. AND THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION’S PROPOSAL WOULD GIVE THEM THAT VOTE. OF COURSE, CAPE CORAL’S DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS ARE HANDLED BY CITY MANAGER MICHAEL INCHES AND THIRDS MORE TH

Kara Rogers has proposed tripling city council salaries, raising concerns among residents and other candidates about the financial impact on taxpayers. Currently, city council members earn about $33,000 annually, and the Mayor makes $37,000. All three mayoral candidates agree that council salaries need to be raised, but they differ on the extent of the increase. Some residents, like Cape Coral resident John Laut, oppose any raise, arguing that council positions are part-time roles.”$30,000 a year because it’s part-time,” Laut said. Rogers believes the council’s workload is akin to a full-time job, warranting higher pay. “I think that we would ultimately see on the back end the savings from that,” Rogers said. “I feel like we as citizens would be able to demand more from them because they’re not just working part-time. It’s not just a community service, it’s their job, their full-time job.”Mayoral candidate Richard Leon agrees with the need for a salary increase but suggests doubling the pay instead of tripling it. Leon, who is on the Charter Review Commission, supports a proposal to pay council members $70,000 annually and the mayor $80,000. “We don’t want to be paying people pennies on the dollar and expect them to help run our city because they’re just we’re not going to get the right candidates for that,” Leon said. “Having sat on that position, especially for $17,000 a year for my first two years. It really does not afford that.”Last year, council members voted to give themselves a stipend, doubling their pay from $40,000 to $80,000. Mayor John Gunter acknowledged he could have involved the public more in the decision-making process. “I can show you the data that shows that the dollar amounts that were discussed are in line with other cities of similar size to ours,” Gunter said. “I could have done better when it came to the stipend and how it was presented.”All three mayoral candidates emphasize the importance of resident input in future decisions, and the Charter Review Commission’s proposal would allow for a public vote. Meanwhile, Cape Coral’s day-to-day operations are managed by City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn, who earns more than $336,000 annually.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Kara Rogers has proposed tripling city council salaries, raising concerns among residents and other candidates about the financial impact on taxpayers.

Currently, city council members earn about $33,000 annually, and the Mayor makes $37,000. All three mayoral candidates agree that council salaries need to be raised, but they differ on the extent of the increase. Some residents, like Cape Coral resident John Laut, oppose any raise, arguing that council positions are part-time roles.

“$30,000 a year because it’s part-time,” Laut said.

Rogers believes the council’s workload is akin to a full-time job, warranting higher pay.

“I think that we would ultimately see on the back end the savings from that,” Rogers said. “I feel like we as citizens would be able to demand more from them because they’re not just working part-time. It’s not just a community service, it’s their job, their full-time job.”

Mayoral candidate Richard Leon agrees with the need for a salary increase but suggests doubling the pay instead of tripling it. Leon, who is on the Charter Review Commission, supports a proposal to pay council members $70,000 annually and the mayor $80,000.

“We don’t want to be paying people pennies on the dollar and expect them to help run our city because they’re just we’re not going to get the right candidates for that,” Leon said. “Having sat on that position, especially for $17,000 a year for my first two years. It really does not afford that.”

Last year, council members voted to give themselves a stipend, doubling their pay from $40,000 to $80,000. Mayor John Gunter acknowledged he could have involved the public more in the decision-making process.

“I can show you the data that shows that the dollar amounts that were discussed are in line with other cities of similar size to ours,” Gunter said. “I could have done better when it came to the stipend and how it was presented.”

All three mayoral candidates emphasize the importance of resident input in future decisions, and the Charter Review Commission’s proposal would allow for a public vote.

Meanwhile, Cape Coral’s day-to-day operations are managed by City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn, who earns more than $336,000 annually.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.