Gov. Rick Scott proposes cutting 1,000 state positions

Gov. Rick Scott is recommending the elimination of more than 1,000 state-worker positions as part of his budget for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.

The governor's $77-billion proposed budget, which he unveiled Wednesday during the Associated Press' annual pre-session meeting at the Capitol, also doesn't include across-the-board raises or performance bonuses for state employees. Last year, Scott recommended merit bonuses of $2,500 for "commendable" employees and $5,000 for "exceptional" workers, but lawmakers did not include them in their final budget.

"As you know, I put in my budget last year performance bonuses for state workers," Scott told reporters. "(The Legislature) didn't put it in there. So I didn't put it in this year. Like every Floridian, I want to make sure they get the tax cuts."

Scott's budget recommendations would cut about 1,017 positions, bringing the state workforce down to about 113,484 positions. Most, but not all, of the positions are currently vacant, and more will become vacant over the coming months.

Linda Edson, legislative co-chair for the Florida Retired Educators Association, a nonprofit service organization, said she was "horrified" by Scott's recommendations. State workers last got an across-the-board raise in 2013, their first such raise in six years. In 2011, lawmakers passed a measure requiring Florida Retirement System participants to chip in 3 percent of their pay toward their retirement.

"It's a slap in the face for state workers," Edson said. "Here they've had to put in 3 percent in their retirement, and that's money that when they were hired it was understood that they wouldn't have to pay."

Officials with the Florida Department of Management Services said that under state law, state employees are eligible for lump-sum bonuses; the bonus amount in June was $600. They also said agencies have the authority to award individual raises through discretionary budgets.

Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, said he wasn't surprised that Scott didn't include raises or bonuses. He said he will push for raises in the House spending plan.

"The governor's budget is his budget. The Legislature's budget is our budget. And we'll continue to educate him on the importance of why we think we need to have a government that accommodates the people of the state of Florida," he said.

The number of state-employee positions shrunk by nearly 11,000 during Scott's first term, according to the most recent state-workforce report. Scott promised to cut the size of state government when he first ran for governor in 2010. Florida has the country's lowest ratio of state employees to the population — 108 per 10,000 residents.

House Democratic Leader Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach, speaking to reporters Wednesday afternoon, said state employees deserve a pay raise.

"Nobody takes a job in the state, I believe, to become a millionaire," he said. "The trade is good benefits and an ability to know that your future at least has a chance once you're done working and you have a solid pension, something that's going to be there. We need to really treat public servants as the public servants they are."

In other state-worker developments, Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, did not include an FRS overhaul as part of their priority list.

Last year, overhauling FRS was a major priority of House Speaker Will Weatherford, though it unraveled in the Senate by session's end. Crisafulli, however, said Republicans are working on proposals for an FRS overhaul.

"Obviously, we weren't able to do this in the past," Crisafulli said. "This is an issue that's obviously very controversial. I'm somebody who believes that something needs to be done. I don't believe that currently the system works. So in the House, we'll have that conversation."

Gardiner said overhauling FRS will be a bigger challenge than tackling troubled municipal pension plans in parts of the state.

"The votes haven't really changed much in the Senate," Gardiner said. "So we'll just have to wait and see."

State worker pay raises

State workers received a raise in 2013, their first across-the-board raise since 2006. However, state workers in various agencies have received raises in between those years. Below is a history of raises since Aug. 1, 2005.

October 2013

State workers with a salary of $40,000 or more were given a $1,000 pay increase. Employees earning less than $40,000 were given a $1,400 pay increase.

July 2013

Law-enforcement employees with less than five years of state service in law enforcement received a 3-percent pay increase; with five or more years, a 5-percent increase.

2012-2013 fiscal year

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was authorized to give pay raises based on job class and base salary.

Jan. 1, 2011

Federal funds were provided to FWC allowing a 3-percent increase for all sworn law-enforcement classes.

Oct. 1, 2008

Highway Patrol and Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles employees received a pay increase of 5 percent.

One-time awards

Effective June 2014

Up to 35 percent of state employees who earned an outstanding or commendable evaluation eligible for a one-time lump sum award of $600.

July 1, 2010

Employees of the Department of Children and Families ACCESS received $500.

Source: DMS