Big pay raises draw heat

Hillsborough County commissioners scolded County Administrator Pat Bean on Thursday for giving big raises to six of her deputies at a time when the county is cutting jobs and programs to balance the budget.

"I don't think at a time like this we can afford pay raises," said Commissioner Mark Sharpe.

But Bean strongly defended her actions, saying the raises were given seven months ago to administrators who had taken on extra responsibilities.

Budget director Eric Johnson, who makes $163,000 a year after a 12 percent raise, had been a department head, but Bean said when he began running five departments, she gave him a promotion that moved him into a new, higher pay grade.

"That happened with every one" of the five others who got raises, she said.

The biggest raise, 17 percent, went to public affairs officer Edith Stewart, who makes $136,000 a year.

Bean gave 12 percent raises to debt management director Mike Merrill, who makes $166,566, and Lucia Garsys, assistant planning and growth administrator, who makes $153,200.

Carl Harness, public safety administrator, who makes $162,157, and Manus O'Donnell, parks and social services administrator, who makes $155,585, both received 7 percent raises.

Commissioner Kevin Beckner said he understood why she gave the raises but questioned whether other county workers who were doing double duty had also been rewarded.

Sharpe said workers shouldn't need extra pay for taking on extra work. "We're here to serve a cause. ... We're not here for the pay," he said.

But Commissioner Jim Norman stood up for Bean.

He noted that she had saved about $500,000 with cuts in her office and spent only $100,000 on the raises. And the money went to workers who performed crucial jobs. If they "walked away because of our comments, we'd look pretty darn foolish," Norman said.

The comments on the raises came at the end of a workshop that highlighted the hard choices the board will have to make to balance next year's budget.

Bean proposes cutting more than $140 million worth of jobs and programs.

One option to the cuts, Bean said, would be imposing a 1 percent tax on cell phone use. She didn't recommend it but said without it, cuts would be steep.

Her administrators presented a long list of dire possibilities: slashing animal services by two-thirds, closing regional parks four days a week, eliminating recreational programs for disabled children and reducing Head Start support.

Commissioners focused on how to avoid cutting after-school programs.

Parks director Mark Thornton said that he was exploring a partnership with the YMCA and Hillsborough County schools. But even with that, fees would probably have to rise.