Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/157038
Sarasota News Leader August 23, 2013 Page 19 Reid proposed a $1,000 lump sum payment to Barbetta emphasized that not all county emnon-union employees. ployees will receive the merit pay, so the final "This is hard," Robinson said, "because the figure spent should be less than $1.9 million. people I work with — it directly impacts them. The projection for the cost of raises to all nonBut I can't, as long as we're deficit spending, union county employees — including those take on more deficit spending …" working for the constitutional officers, such as If staff had been able to suggest cuts in the the sheriff and tax collector — is $4,160,275. 2014 Fiscal Year budget to free up the $927,000 estimated for raises, she added, "I might have However, Steve Botelho, the county's chief financial planning officer, told the commisbeen able to swallow it." sioners he was hopeful the county would Another $973,000 will come out of county utiluse only about $14 million this year from reity funds to cover the merit pay, for a total of $1.9 million in 2014 fiscal year costs for just serves to cover expenses. In the 2012 fiscal employees of Sarasota County departments year, the county utilized $9.2 million from a reserve it had built up in the event of an ecooverseen by Reid. A chart shows results from national surveys regarding employee compensation. Image courtesy Sarasota County