Anne Geggis
The House and the Senate are nearly $10 million apart for bumping salaries in State Attorney offices, with the House offering the higher figure, according to the latest spreadsheet.
Assistant State Attorneys last year received their first raise in three years, and it looks like the Senate is not keen to do it again this year. No numbers are filled for cost of living, differential for localities and other items, according to a budget worksheet.
The House has budgeted $9.5 million to add on to pay in prosecutors’ offices.
The biggest chunk of the increase — $5.5 million — would go toward offsetting higher living costs in the more expensive parts of the state. The House also added $2.1 million for cost-of-living adjustment for all staff in State Attorney offices. Another $1.4 million staff would go toward alleviating salary compression and $480,310 for salary and benefits adjustment.
Last year’s legislatively approved pay raises bumped starting prosecutor salaries at the Broward County State Attorney’s Office by 20%, to $60,000 a year. But that’s still lower than the county’s median salary of $62,522, according to the U.S. Census. And it’s not enough to afford the average rent in Fort Lauderdale, which is at $2,711 for a 959-square-foot apartment, according to RentCafe.com.
Financial experts recommend budgeting the rent and mortgage at 30% of one’s monthly pay. With that guideline, starting prosecutors would have to find a place for $1,500 a month.
From Key West to West Palm Beach, the high cost of living compared to the pay in State Attorneys’ offices has led to the loss of many lawyers, officials say.
Harold Pryor, the Broward County State Attorney, said he’s made multiple trips to Tallahassee to advocate for prosecutors working in the priciest part of the state, speaking to both Democrats and Republicans.
“I understand how important this is for government attorneys and staff in the tri-county area and I have taken up the mantle in being an advocate for this cause,” he said. “We all agree that public safety is paramount and we all agree that we need both experienced and adequately paid public servants to do this important work.”
Budget conference subcommittees will meet throughout the week to resolve differences in each area. When remaining issues reach an impasse, they will be “bumped” to the full budget conference committee.
Lawmakers must reach an agreement on a final spending plan by May 2 to meet the 72-hour “cooling off” period required by the state constitution before they can vote on the budget to avoid pushing the Regular Session past its scheduled May 5 end date.
