The Tallahassee Democrat reported that in May 2021, in the face of a lifeguard shortage, the City of Tallahassee raised the position pay to $12.50 from the $8.80 it previously offered, a full two years after the $12 minimum was first proposed by the City Commission. The new wage of $12.50 was not adequate to attract employees in a competitive labor market and resulted in only two of seven public pools open for the season.
In 2021 budget talks, Commissioner Williams-Cox asked City Manager Reese Goad and the budget team to “show us what it looks like,” referring to the fiscal impact of raising the wage for all workers both full and part-time to $15 per hour.
At the July 7th budget workshop, city staff determined it would cost $1.7 million of the city’s $172.3 million dollar general fund to raise the wage for all employees regardless of position.
Commissioners Porter and Matlow expressed their desire to move forward with the pay increase. It is uncertain which direction the City Commission will take on pay equity, but there’s a clear break from the past in how employee compensation is discussed and considered. The Commission will officially vote on the proposed budget and employee wages at a public hearing scheduled for September.