Steve Cottrell gains more money but won't get the three-year term he requested.
By LORRI HELFAND, Times Staff Writer
Published November 18, 2005
BELLEAIR - Town Commissioners have renewed Town Manager Steve Cottrell's two-year contract, granting some of his requests, while stripping away others.
Cottrell was awarded a salary of $91,770, equivalent to a 3 percent cost-of-living increase and a 2.54 percent merit increase.
Three commissioners supported Cottrell, while two others, Gary Katica and Mayor George Mariani Jr., voted against his contract.
Mariani reviewed the contract line by line during Tuesday night's commission meeting, making sure to rein in contract perks before the vote.
In Cottrell's previous contract, there was a feature that automatically renewed the terms of the agreement by two-year increments if the commission failed to notify him within 120 days of the contract's expiration. Mariani persuaded fellow commissioners to strike that clause.
The commission also shot down Cottrell's requests for a three-year term, minimum merit increases equal to the average of other full-time employees, free use of a car after early termination and town contributions to a pension plan on top of current retirement contributions.
Cottrell, 58, who was hired in 1997, said he was just asking for benefits afforded to most other local city managers. He didn't want the commission to whittle away elements of his previous agreement.
At Cottrell's request, the commission reduced the amount of resignation notice Cottrell must give the town from 90 to 45 days.
The last time the commission reviewed Cottrell's contract was six years ago. Cottrell's performance came into question a few months ago when he presented the 1999 contract - which he changed to reflect his current salary - to new Commissioner Tom Shelly and other commissioners. Commissioners have reviewed Cottrell's performance annually by filling out questionnaires, which Cottrell has used to calculate his raises. Mariani and Katica said they had no idea how Cottrell's raises were computed, but Commissioner Stephen Fowler said he was well aware of the method.
Tuesday, Mariani called Cottrell's system a "secret formula" and said, "instead of renewal, we should be talking about expiration of the contract."
After reviewing his contract and employee file at Mariani's request, Town Attorney David Ottinger recommended that the commission review Cottrell annually. The commission agreed to to do so each September to avoid similar confusion.
