Santa Rosa County may help pay the difference

Employees are now required to contribute three percent toward their own retirement starting July 1, which means they will be taking home less money in their paychecks.

This Florida Retirement System change has sparked concern and discussion in several county meetings and county commissioners are discussing ways to make up that difference in county employee paychecks for the last quarter of fiscal year 2011.

Hunter Walker, Santa Rosa County administrator, suggested two options for commissioners to consider during the commission’s June 20 meeting: One involved giving a portion, such as 25 percent, of the money back to the employees, or a second option was to give back a fixed amount of money to each employee.

Commissioner Jim Williamson recommended covering the entire three percent for this quarter whether by paying the contribution if that is a legal option or by increasing salaries for employees to cover it.

For more on this story, see the June 23 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.