The city of Apopka doesn’t have a formal methodology for calculating commissioners’ compensation, but the Apopka City Council is hoping to establish a formal policy to govern their annual pay, which is currently set at $17,400 per commissioner.

Joseph Patton, the city’s human resources director, presented a study on commissioners’ salaries at the Aug. 6 City Council meeting. He said the city doesn’t have a methodology in place to determine Apopka city commissioners’ pay.

“We are unable to locate any records, ordinances, compensation, methodology on anything concerning Commissioner compensation,” Patton told the City Council. “So, in the past, we’ve gotten an email from the city administrator’s office saying, ‘This is the new salary,’ which I did not know, or anyone knows what the computation was.”

As for Apopka city commissioners, their salaries were $13,500 in fiscal year (FY) 2019. They increased to $15,900 in FY20 and to $16,200 in FY21. Most recently, the salaries went up to $17,400 in FY23. The vice mayor receives an additional $300.

He said he located Ordinance No. 781 dated July 7, 1993, which amended the City Charter and included in it section 2.03, “Compensation; expenses of council.”  

Section 2.03 of the city charter states the commissioners shall receive a salary, that any changes in compensation don’t go into effect until after the next regular election following a vote to change pay. However, the section doesn’t specify the methodology for determining the salary amounts or changes to pay.

The section also states that the mayor and commissioners will be reimbursed for expenses incurred while performing their duties. Per the charter, the mayor’s salary is set in the yearly budget.

While presenting his study, Patton discussed commissioners’ compensation in surrounding cities and a few outside the Central Florida area, ranging from $8,700 to $79,343 per year. 

In comparing compensation, Patton also examined the city’s population, the number of commissioners per capita, whether the city was districted or non-districted, and whether the city offered commissioners health insurance. The city of Apopka does not offer its commissioners health insurance.

Mayor Bryan Nelson asked if any of the surveyed cities receive a salary bump based on population growth. Patton said methods differ among cities.

Vice Mayor/Commissioner Diane Velazquez said she was somewhat glad the issue of codifying the compensation methodology is being raised, especially since over the years, the city’s population is growing, and commissioners are becoming involved in the community and supporting different organizations.

“We used to, they used to just show up and kind of vote, but I think over the years, we have grown,” Velazquez said. “Each commissioner, we’re basically at almost every community event. We support different organizations. We do a lot more than I’ve seen, and I think the public has seen us and has had more access to us than any time before. Our city is just growing and growing.”

Commissioner Nadia Anderson said she had received several questions about how commissioners were getting paid.

“I was the one who brought it up and asked, ‘Was there an ordinance or policy that showed how commissioners was paid?’” she said. “It wasn’t that I was wanting us to receive a raise. I just needed a policy so I could explain to the residents, and there was no policy.”

Patton recommended setting up a workshop or business item at the next City Council meeting to discuss compensation methodology, after which the city could draft an ordinance.

A workshop has been set up for 6 p.m. Oct. 15., before the second City Council meeting that month, at the Apopka City Hall council chamber.

Commissioner Nick Nesta asked Patton about the specifics of health insurance plans for commissioners in other cities.

Patton said commissioners that received health insurance would likely have the same options as regular city employees, including choosing between HMO and PPO plans.