Analysis of voter data shows that the 2024 ballot referendum to increase city commissioner salaries passed with overwhelming support from southside voters.
The city charter amendment, which proposed to raise the salaries of a city commissioner from $48,000 to $96,000 avoided mentioning those dollar figures in the ballot language. Instead, the language asked, “Shall the Charter of the City of Tallahassee be amended to provide that members of the City Commission be paid an annual salary equal to the annual salary set by state law for members of the Board of County Commissioners of Leon County, Florida?”
The charter amendment passed with 56.0% of the vote.
Voting tallies show that there was a significant geographic divide between the voters who supported the amendment. The table below shows that voters from District 1 (Southside) and District 2 (FUS, TSC, west Tennessee Street) voted 67.4%, and 69.7% for the pay raise…