Perks, Benefits And Duties Of County Commissioners

BROOKSVILLE - Are they or aren't they?

County Commissioner Chris Kingsley's assertion that he is a county employee and entitled to tuition reimbursement raised a question that perplexed even some government officials.

Depending on who you talked to, commissioners were either (a) a county employee, (b) a state employee or (c) a little bit of both.

To clarify the issue, Hernando Today asked Jerry Haines, newly appointed interim director of Human Resources, to supply the newspaper with an informational sheet that lists the benefits and perks of county commissioners.

The newspaper also consulted state statutes which, although exhaustive in describing the enforcement powers of county bosses, are surprisingly vague on actual job description duties.

Here's a primer on Hernando County commissioner benefits and duties:

Do county commissioners get the same benefits package as any other county employee?

No.

Are they county employees or state employees?

They are state employees.

Are county commissioners entitled to health benefits, vacations or a bank of paid time off (PTO) days?

They do get the same health benefits as other county workers. However, they are not entitled to paid vacations and PTO.

They can take a vacation whenever they want, as often as they want and get paid their salary.

Are county commissioners entitled to the tuition reimbursement program available to other county line workers?

No.

Are county commissioners bound by a time clock? Do they have set hours? Is it a part-time or full-time job?

Commissioners do not punch a time card. They do not have set hours. They could technically not even show up at the office.

They are required to attend commission meetings and be responsible for passing a budget.

How many hours they work varies from commissioner to commissioner. It's strictly at their discretion.

Their jobs are viewed as part time.

Do commissioners get perks, such as personal cell phones, travel allowances or gas credits?

They get a $50-a-month stipend for use with their personal cell phone. They are also reimbursed 44.5-cents per mile to cover travel expenses. Those travel allowances can be in or out of the county and must be for official business purposes. Francis Pioszak, assistant finance director, said it is her department's experience that commissioners only request reimbursement for travel outside Hernando County.

Do they get a retirement package from the county?

As elected officials, they are part of the Florida retirement system, not the county's. They become vested in the FRS after six years.

Do they get a state pension?

Yes.

What do county commissioners get paid?

They get paid $59,226 a year. The state sets the salary for commissioners and elected constitutional officers, such as the sheriff, tax collector and supervisor of elections.

Do Florida Statutes specifically state the duties of county commissioners?

Yes. Statutes devote an entire chapter to those duties and can be found at this site: www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_ Statute&URL=Ch0125/titl0125.htm