Volusia County manager, attorney get 5% raises pushing salaries to $259,041 and $242,138

Two of the top leaders in Volusia County government received raises on Tuesday worth about $24,000 combined.

County councilmembers voted 7-0 to give County Manager George Recktenwald and County Attorney Mike Dyer 5% raises, which is in line with what general employees received for the current budget year.

With the increase, Recktenwald's salary is about $259,041 and Dyer's salary is about $242,138.

Council members gave positive feedback to Dyer and Recktenwald with little criticism. Councilmen shared their comments with both men in written evaluations, but they provided some feedback at the meeting. The News-Journal has requested copies of the written evaluations.

District 5 Councilman David Santiago said Dyer has "kept the county on good legal ground."

"You've had a lot of successes and wins, and I think that the residents of Volusia are in good hands legally under your leadership," Santiago said.

Santiago said he'd like to see Dyer "chime in" more with his legal expertise during council discussions.

Santiago said Recktenwald balances the council members' needs, issues and desires well.

"Amongst probably close to a dozen city or county managers that I've dealt with, you are up there probably one of the best at this," Santiago said.

District 4 Councilman Troy Kent gave an overview of his detailed ratings, with both men getting high marks overall. He used a 1 to 5 rating system, with 5 being the best. Kent gave Dyer a rating of about 4.6 on average and a little over 4 for Recktenwald, he estimated.

Kent said he'd like to see quicker decision-making from Dyer in some circumstances. He also said he'd like to see Dyer open up his office to the public for Q&A sessions to share more about the office's work.

"Mike, I believe this county is fortunate to have you as our county attorney," Kent said. "You are a homegrown hard worker who only wants what is best for Volusia County.

One of Recktenwald's lowest scores was on communication skills with the council, for which received a "2." Kent said he doesn't want to be caught off guard by reports from the media about what's happening in the county. He also said he'd like Recktenwald to have meetings with the public.

"I know you have a tough demanding job. Your background in all departments is very beneficial to you and this county," Kent said.

District 1 Councilman Don Dempsey spoke highly of their performance and said he supported the raises. But he suggested considering a cap on raises for the two positions in coming years.

"At some point, it just reaches the pinnacle of your job title," Dempsey said.

He also said he would be more inclined to support raises for their positions if the budget is reduced overall.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia County Council votes to give top leaders 5% raise