Town of Fort Myers Beach Council approves $10K raise for Town Manager

The Town of Fort Myers Beach Council awarded Fort Myers Beach Manager Will McKannay a $10,000 raise on Monday, as part of his first performance review since being hired a year ago.

The 5% raise brings McKannay’s salary to $210,000. McKannay, a retired U.S. Army Garrison commander, who has previously served as an emergency management consultant, was hired at a salary of $200,000 last year.

Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers proposed the 5% pay increase. “I gave him an excellent score, not perfect, but excellent,” Allers said. Allers said he thinks there are still “some communication issues” within some departments to “ensure we get back to our constituents as fast as possible, nothing egregious, I think timelines for getting back to customers, or constituents actually being able to get through to someone to answer some of your questions. Maybe Finn (the town’s new artificial intelligence, customer service program), our new buddy, will help alleviate some of that. I gave him as probably as close to a perfect score as you can get.”

Allers said his recommendation for the 5% increase would be consistent with what the town gives to exceptional employees. Allers said he had talked over the matter with the town’s human resources director ahead of Monday’s council meeting.

“Will has come into a hot zone,” Allers said. “I think we are on a great path.”

Councilmember John McLean questioned Town of Fort Myers Beach Human Resources Director Talissa Oliveira if what Allers said was factual regarding the 5% increase in being consistent with pay increases for other employees.

Oliveira said the town’s performance-based pay program which the town just implemented, was between a range of 2% to 4% of a one-time payment of their annual salary. The highest performance payment bonus was 4%, Oliveira said.

Councilmember John King asked “Where did the 5% come from?” Oliveira said the 5% would be “encompassing” of an employee moving up through a new pay grade plus the bonus, since McKannay technically isn’t eligible for the same pay grade enhancements or bonuses that other employees go through. His contract does allow for a merit increase upon a positive performance review.

“I am extremely comfortable with that,” McLean said of the 5% increase.

Oliveira said McKannay is also eligible for a cost of living adjustment, so his salary could potentially be higher than the $210,000 base pay the 5% raise would bring him to. A request made to the town for the exact amount of his new salary was not responded to as of press time.

Vice Mayor Scott Safford said McKannay’s leadership on artificial intelligence tools has been lauded by the leaders of other municipalities in the state.

Safford thanked McKannay for “protecting the town” while being “on the hot seat” dealing with FEMA and the Fort Myers Beach Elementary School.

McLean gave high marks to the manager though he still sees communication issues with residents. McLean said he has received “feedback from residents” that they are not getting timely responses from town officials. He said there are still issues with the “dissemination of information,” saying he wanted to receive agenda packets further in advance.

McLean said he thinks the new artificial intelligence customer service program begun by McKanay, and other applications that McKannay has started, “are great strengths.”

Councilmember Rebecca Link said she gave McKannay high marks though she thinks residents still need to be responded to faster. “I want everyone to be treated by the same rules and expectations,” Link said. Link said she wants to see that there “are more consistencies” through the organization. Link thanked McKannay for his commitment to the town.

Councilmember John King said communication was the only area of improvement on which he thought McKannay needed to work.

Public records requests submitted to town officials for copies of the town council’s review of McKannay, were not responded to as of press time.

Fort Myers Beach Observer Editor Nathan Mayberg can be reached at Nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com