Bill hiking pay for future Governor, Cabinet advances in House

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 2/6/23-Rep. Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, chairs the Appropriations Committee, Monday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Florida’s next Governor and Cabinet officials could get a pay raise under a bill moving in the House.

The measure (PCB APC 24-04) would tie the salaries of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Attorney General and the Agriculture Commissioner to the salaries of Florida Supreme Court Justices starting in 2027 — after Gov. Ron DeSantis and current Cabinet officials term out of office. It passed unanimously through the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.

Justices are currently paid $251,414 per year, while Gov. DeSantis receives $141,400. The bill requires the Governor’s salary to be set at 100% of what Justices are paid, so it would amount to a $110,014 pay increase if the salaries remain the same.

Under the bill, the Lieutenant Governor’s salary would be set at 95% of the Justices’ salaries, as would that of the CFO, Attorney General and Agriculture Commissioner. The three Cabinet officials make $139,988 annually, while the Lieutenant Governor earns $135,516 a year.

Appellate court Judges’ salaries would be 90% of that of a Justice, circuit court Judges would get 80% and county Judges would receive 75% under the bill. Appellate Judges currently make $212,562 per year (84.5% of the justices’ salaries), circuit Judges make $191,163 per year (76%) and county Judges earn $180,616 annually (71.8%).

Any official, however, could voluntarily reduce their pay.

The bill also changes the law surrounding salaries for legislators, but wouldn’t change their level of pay.

In 1985, the Legislature passed a law requiring lawmakers to receive a pay increase one year after state workers received a pay increase. That provision was never used, though, because lawmakers have consistently waived it when they passed the budget.

But the fact that an automatic pay increase was technically on the law books still irked House budget chief Tom Leek, an Ormond Beach Republican.

“The thing that went on for so long that caused me to begin to review it is the thing that I didn’t like the most, which was a special provision for the Legislature with automatic increases,” Leek said. “Why should the legislative salaries have that special provision?”

Lawmakers are considered part-time workers under the state constitution, and rank-and-file members are paid $29,697 per year, while the House Speaker and Senate President receive $41,181 per year. Those salaries would remain the same in the House budget.

The Senate doesn’t have a similar bill as part of its budget package, so the issue will be part of formal budget negotiations between the chambers later in the Regular Session.