By Mary Thurwachter
With his first year under his belt, Town Manager Brian Raducci got a big attaboy from the Lantana Town Council on Oct. 24 — one that came with a substantial pay hike.
Raducci, a former assistant city manager of Aventura, received a 4% raise, which when added to a 5% cost-of-living adjustment jumps his salary of $175,000 to $191,100.
“He’s done an excellent job,” said Vice Mayor Karen Lythgoe, who has been running the town meetings since Mayor Robert Hagerty announced his resignation in September. “He’s done his job very well. And I think that gives him a little incentive to keep going.”
Lythgoe had proposed a 3% merit raise, but Vice Mayor Pro Tem Lynn (Doc) Moorhouse said Raducci, 52, deserved a 5% hike like the ones awarded to department heads.
“My God, you deserve anything you get and more.” Moorhouse said. “I think he has done a superb job.”
The council settled on 4% after council member Kem Mason suggested it as a compromise.
Last year, Raducci agreed to a 5-year contract with 1,040 vacation hours, 400 hours of sick time, $12,000 a year to lease a car, health and dental insurance, cell phone, laptop and scanner. The town also contributes an amount equal to 15% of his salary to a retirement account.
“Our faith in you has definitely been well placed,” Lythgoe said. “We’re moving in the right direction” on some of the infrastructure changes “that we’ve been putting off. ... I can’t say enough about you.”
Raducci said the Town Council has been extremely supportive of his initiatives and was “intimately involved in the establishment of the budget priorities/goals and action plans which have been incorporated into the budget.” To balance that budget, however, the council raised the tax rate from $3.50 to $3.75 per $1,000 of taxable value — despite a 15.8% increase in the town’s tax base.
One of his goals for the town in the year ahead, Raducci said, is to maintain infrastructure. That includes repairing water mains, replacing wooden decking and rafters at the beach, repairing the sea walls at Bicentennial and Sportsman’s parks and designing the second phase of the water mains and pipes project.
He also wants to continue beautification projects — such as installing holiday lights around Greynolds Circle and adding benches and trash receptacles in the parks — and to continue responsible development through the town’s master plan.
In other action, the Town Council voted to disband the town’s Education Council. It was created in 2001 to serve in an advisory capacity and give Lantana a voice in decisions made by the county School Board, particularly concerning issues with finding a permanent location for a school in Lantana.
Since the education committee met that primary goal, the Town Council didn’t see the need for it to continue. Members of the Education Council discussed disbanding at their Sept. 12 meeting and the majority agreed.
Upcoming elections
Lantana has two council seats and the mayor’s job up for grabs in the March election. The Group 4 seat, held by Lythgoe, is available, as is the Group 3 seat held by Mark Zeitler.
Lythgoe said she would make a run for mayor and not seek re-election to her Group 4 seat. Should she win her bid to become mayor, the unexpired term will be only until March 2024, at which time she would need to run again.
Zeitler, who like Lythgoe is completing his first three-year term, will seek re-election to the Group 3 seat.
Other candidates have not been formally announced, although several are showing interest, including former council member Ed Shropshire, who was ousted by Zeitler three years ago; and John Raymer, who came in second earlier this year in his attempt to outpoll five-term incumbent Moorhouse.
The candidate qualifying period begins at noon Nov. 14 and ends at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 18, according to Town Clerk Kathleen Dominguez.
Lantana does not have term limits and all council members, including mayor, serve three-year terms.
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