WHAT TO KNOW
- Riviera Beach City Manager Karen Hoskins gave herself a salary increase of $18,000, according to the finance director
- Hoskins also signed off on a $25,000 increase for Community Court Program Manager Felicia Scott, who is married to Chairwoman Tonya Davis Johnson
- Hoskins approved an improper raise for Interim Human Resources Director Eureka Irvin from $65,000 to $133,000
Riviera Beach Finance Director Randy Sherman said in a memo released Thursday that Riviera City Manager Karen Hoskins gave herself and other city officials raises without prior approval.
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During Wednesday's city council meeting, Hoskins got applause from the audience when she said she had concerns over wasting taxpayer money.
“Because I just saw taxpayer dollars going down the drain like it did tonight,” Hoskins said after council members Terence Davis and KaShamba Miller-Anderson debated for over an hour over the suspension of Interim Public Works Director Terence Bailey. “We have city staff sit here since 7 a-m over this. We’ve been talking about this for an hour. That’s a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
According to Sherman’s memo, Hoskins was not so frugal with taxpayer money when it came to her own salary.
The memo said she gave herself an $18,000 raise, bringing her salary to $168,000.
Sherman said she was not entitled to that increase.
She also signed off on a $25,000 raise to Community Court Program Manager Felicia Scott, who is married to Chairwoman Tonya Davis Johnson.
Sherman also notes in his memo that Hoskins approved an improper raise for Interim Human Resources Director Eureka Irvin.
Her salary jumped from $65,000 to $133,000. According to Sherman, her salary should be $102,000.
Hoskins responded in a memo to Sherman saying that she was due the additional 12 percent longevity pay on top of her $150,000 salary.
Sherman said the longevity pay was part of her salary, not in addition, and also noted that previous city managers were not awarded such a bonus.
“Whether or not previous city managers received longevity pay is irrelevant … ,” Hoskins said in her memo.
She also noted that as a 30-year public servant to the city she would take Sherman’s concerns very seriously.
Hoskins used to work in the finance department before being appointed city manager.
She was given the position first on an interim basis after the council fired City Manager Jonathan Evans in September.
The council had 120 days to find a permanent city manager. Once they realized they weren’t able to do that, they hired Hoskins as city manager.