News

By Dan Moffett

    Briny Breezes Town Council members have a reasonably good idea of what they’re looking for in a town manager.
    But salary and benefits limitations may make hiring the right person difficult.
    A volunteer committee made its report to the council on July 20, recommending the duties and qualifications for the new town manager position. Town Attorney John Skrandel told council members to consider that their requirements for candidates have to fall in line with what the town is able to offer in compensation.
    “You can create the position however you want to create it,” Skrandel said. “But in reality, anyone who’s willing to take this job and has the experience and education, they’re going to want a contract that essentially provides them with a specific amount of pay, a specific amount of work over a specific period of time.”
    Skrandel said most of the qualified and experienced candidates are also likely to want some protection against unreasonable termination.
    “That’s going to be another thing the town is going to have to look at — what it’s willing to offer, not just salary but other benefits,” said Skrandel. “Keep that in mind.”
    The council hopes to hire a part-time manager, the first in the town’s history, for $50,000 a year.
    Nearly all full-time managers in small towns along the Palm Beach County coast are paid at least $100,000 a year, with full retirement and health benefits, paid vacations and often car allowances.
    Council President Sue Thaler has been doing the administrative work of a manager on a volunteer basis for the last several years but says she can’t continue putting in roughly 20 hours a week to keep the town running.
    “Every other municipality in the county has a manager,” said Alderman Bobby Jurovaty. “The world is changing. We need this.”
    The council voted to accept the committee’s report and do more research on how best to create the new position. Council members said they plan to continue the discussion at their Aug. 24 meeting.
    In other business:
    • The council unanimously approved setting the tax rate for the 2017-18 fiscal year at $10 per $1,000 of taxable value, the statutory maximum and the same since 2009.
    According to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office, Briny has recovered its valuation from the South Florida real estate crash 10 years ago, with $45 million in total taxable property values, up 8.6 percent over last year.
    Public hearings on the budget are scheduled beginning at 5:01 p.m. on Aug. 24 and Sept. 28,     • Boynton Beach Police Lt. Chris Yannuzzi says state Department of Transportation officials have set tentative dates for closing the Ocean Avenue bridge 24 hours because of construction work. The round-the-clock closures are slated for Aug. 13-15 and Aug. 20-22.