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Finally, salaries database includes Florida Legislature

Posted Jun 17, 2009 by Dennis Joyce

Updated Jun 17, 2009 at 05:13 PM

Florida State Capitol


Here’s a question from some weeks back, e-mailed by Linda Benton, about our database of more than 230,000 public employee salaries:

“I would … like to know why you show only a select few state employees.  The Legislature is part of State Government and their salaries are also paid by the tax payers.  Why have you not included them?”

Today, Linda, we’re finally able to say that we’re getting there.

It took a while. The Legislature was the only government body among the 17 we’ve contacted that wouldn’t provide an electronic version of the records. They sent a paper copy instead, with nearly 1,700 names.

We wrangled it online with help from a scanner, Adobe Acrobat Professional and a lot of cleanup by researcher Buddy Jaudon. You’ll find legislative employees on the database under job titles that include “Office of Legislative Services” and “Auditor General.”

Missing is information for the state’s legislators, its 40 senators and 120 representatives, but they’re working on it. Besides, they all make the same money, about $31,000 a year now and 5 percent less come July 1 after a pay cut they just approved.

“Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention,” Jaryn Emhoff, the Senate’s communications director, said in e-mail today. “We are taking steps to make these documents available in a more electronic format.  In keeping with Florida as a leader in open government, we are committed to increasing the accountability and accessibility of government.”