News

By Jane Smith

    The Downtown Development Authority board will give new Executive Director Laura Simon a salary increase to coincide with her promotion.
    At the Delray Beach authority’s Oct. 12 meeting, the board agreed to increase Simon’s base salary to $75,000 from $61,800 she made as associate director. She also will receive a $250 monthly car allowance and an $85 monthly cellphone allowance.
    Simon was named executive director at the September board meeting of the Delray Beach agency. She took over on Oct. 1.
    At a specially called meeting in August, the board voted not to renew the contract of Marjorie Ferrer. Her contract as executive director ended Sept. 30. She had led the DDA since 1993. At the time of her departure, Ferrer’s base salary was $94,003 with a $3,600 annual car allowance.
    The board felt pressure from Simon, who said she was hired five years ago as Ferrer’s replacement and had a job offer. It also was under scrutiny from the City Commission as a tax agency that receives $1 for every $1,000 in taxable property value in its 340 acres. In the summer, Mayor Cary Glickstein pointed out the DDA spent 40 percent of its budget on administrative costs.
    Ferrer has since established her own consulting firm, Downtown Management Consulting, where she will help cities manage their downtowns.
    Simon’s contract will be approved at an upcoming board meeting. It will be retroactive to Oct. 1.