Florida lawmakers unhappy about the escalating salaries of university presidents passed a bill Tuesday that caps the amount of state money the presidents can receive at $225,000 annually.
Anything more than that amount would have to come from private sources.
Eight of Florida's 11 university presidents receive more than $225,000 a year from the state, thanks in large part to a recent round of pay increases. Two presidents have state salaries of at least $300,000.
Retiring University of Florida president Charles Young became the highest-paid president in December when the school bumped his annual salary to $350,000. Soon after, the University of South Florida raised president Judy Genshaft's salary to $325,000.
The other presidents earn between $175,000 and $295,000. Some of their salaries already are supplemented by private donations. Genshaft's pay, for example, includes $25,000 from the USF Foundation.
After the law goes into effect July 1, the foundations are expected to use private money to replace any state pay of more than $225,000.
The bill (HB 51A) passed the House 115-1 and the Senate 38-0.
