How Much Do Our City Executives Actually Make?

The amount our city executives make is the most shared, commented on, and reacted to information that we have shared with the public. Their annual salaries are, for many of us, an average of four years of work. We look at their salaries slack-jawed and ask ourselves: “Is there a better way we could spend our taxes?”

When the city executives promised our neighbors they would reconsider the demolition of a historic oak groove, only to destroyed it anyway. They drove chainsaws right through the public opinion and trust in a statement that we could only interpret as “We don’t work for you.”

So if they don’t work for us, then who do they work for? And how much are we paying them to work for someone else?

There are a total of six city executives in the City of Tallahassee. Five are in positions labeled “Assistant City Manager” and one is considered the “City Manager.”

Reese Goad

Reese Goad is the City Manager. He reports to the City commission which is supposed to report to the people of Tallahassee. As of October 2023 Reese Goad was making $272,935.47 as well as employees benefits. Reese Goad is also currently eligible for the employee person leave sellback program which he has received $9,000+ from.

However, the benefits don’t stop there, Reese Goad also receives a city issued pick up truck which includes operation, maintenance, repair, fuel, “regular replacement of said automobile,” and insurance. We estimate the cost of this being about $60,000 +/- to the taxpayers.

Outlined in his employee contract is also “General expenses” budget. The contact states that “the city recognizes that certain expenses of a non-personal and generally job-affiliated nature are incurred by Employee,” and they “agree to reimburse or pay general expenses.” The line item sheet we received is from November 2023 and is about a $1million dollar budget.

We won’t include the potential expenses that Reese Goad could have covered with the General expense account. He still makes about $281,935 annually plus the cost of his truck, gas, maintenance, insurance, and repair.

How Does This Look To The Typical Person Living In Tallahassee

• $281,935 annually
• That’s $23,495 monthly
• The average debt an American owes is $104,000. Reese Goad could pay off the debt of two Americans every year and still have $73,935 and a vehicle.
• The USDA recommends a thrifty grocery monthly budget of $976 for a family of four. Reese Goad could buy a months worth of groceries for 205 families of four and still have $81,935 and a vehicle. (https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/Cost_Of_Food_Thrifty_Food_Plan_February_2024.pdf)

According to they City of Tallahassee website, Reese Goad “is responsible for maintaining the management functions of city government and administering the day-to-day operations. He provides oversight of the City Commission meeting agenda process, working closely with the City Commission to establish long-term strategic plans, as well as short-term targets.”

While we recognize that Reese Goad is overseeing over 4,000 employees we have to also note that he has been unable to negotiate with the Firefighters for a year, has been unable to clearly communicate to the citizens, as well as unable to meet with City Commissioners upon their request.

The Assistant City Managers

There are five Assistant city managers who all report to Reese Goad. Most comparable cities only have two or three assistant city managers. Fort Lauderdale has two assistant managers. Pensacola has two Deputy (Assistant) City Administrators.

Wayne (David) Tedder makes $235,957. Christian Doolin makes $230,946. Cynthia Barber makes $247,824. Karen Jumonville makes $230,946. Abena Ojetayo makes $230,946.

All Assistant City Executives receive a car allowance of $250 monthly or $3,000 yearly as well as the ability to use the employee sellback program with a range of $7,000 – $9,000 each year they use it.

850CapitalTea would like to recognize that they all have anywhere from three to six people that report to them. With the positions they hold having that much power they too must be scrutinized more closely.

It’s important to remember how they conduct themselves. At the end of 2023, a text message conversation involving the City Executives was exposed to the public. The conversations included mocking one of our neighbors (Stanley Sims), members of the press, and fellow county commissioners. Reese Goad is also involved in the conversation. We, the public, still have not received an acknowledgement or apology for the ridiculing messages.

A criteria for employees to maintain employment with the city is to complete annual trainings. These annual trainings consist of workplace inclusion, anti-harassment, and an ethics refresher. 850CaptialTea requested the City executives completed training dates.

We requested this information on 11/1/2023. All city executives completed the anti-harassment training on the same day as the request. Four city executives have not completed the workplace inclusion training.

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

-John C Maxwell

What The City Executives Pay And Actions Mean For Tallahassee

Reese Goad and City Staff recently recommended that all general employees receive a 4.2% raise. This means that Reese Goad could have an additional $11,463 per year and the other executives would have an additional $10,000 per year.

As we evaluate the impact of the City Executives actions, we see how everyone has been effected. Leaders must be held to a higher accountability because they influence those they have been entrusted to lead. Their choices have a larger impact than anyone else.

When we are told there is a $3million dollar deficit and project costs are regularly coming back double what we were initially told, we know that it is us taxpayers that will pay for this poor financial stewardship.

When the City Executives neglect our sewage system, it is us taxpayers that will receive the fines and probation periods.

It is our neighborhoods and our families who will no longer have the historic oak trees or trust in our local government.

This means that we, the people of Tallahassee, are entrusted with protecting our local government. Keep the conversation going. Keep talking to our Commission, to each other. And then we vote.