To paint a clearer picture of how taxpayer dollars fund local leadership, New Times combed through thousands of pages of municipal budgets and submitted public records requests to all 34 cities, towns, and villages, as well as Miami-Dade County. The responses varied: some municipalities provided detailed records promptly, while others required more persistence.
We extend our thanks to the mayors, city managers, and officials who took the time to answer our questions. While Florida public records law does not require city clerks, the official custodians of government documents, to explain or clarify the content of records, we appreciate those who went the extra mile to help us connect the dots.
Here's a breakdown of who makes what in Miami-Dade government.
Aventura (Population 40,242)
The charter determines salaries, but the mayor's and commissioners' non-accountable expenses can be — and have been — increased through ordinances.According to city clerk Ellisa Horvath, the mayor receives an annual salary of $10,000 and an annual expense allowance of $18,414, and commissioners receive an annual salary of $7,500 and an annual expense allowance of $18,414.
Horvath says neither the commissioners nor the mayor receive cell phone or car allowances, and they don't get city-issued credit cards.
The city manager makes an annual salary of $237,500.
Bal Harbour (Population 3,093)
According to Bal Harbour's municipal ordinance, the mayor's annual salary is $30,000, while council members make $24,000 yearly. Before September 26, 2017, when leaders voted to give themselves a raise, the mayor received a scant $1,800 annually, and council members just $1,200.The ordinance says the mayor and council also have the option to be covered by the village's Medicare supplement insurance policy. Those not "Medicare-eligible at the time of leaving the council" can opt in upon reaching eligibility. The village manager receives a salary of $222,847.
The village does not provide a car, mobile phone, or expense allowances for the mayor or council, nor does it issue the elected officials village credit cards. However, Bal Harbour reimburses them for any travel they do on behalf of the village. The village does not contribute anything toward a retirement fund or pension.
Bay Harbor Islands (Population 5,922)
According to the Bay Harbor Islands website, each elected official gets $1 per year, "as has been the case since the town's inception. "The town does not contribute to any retirement account or pension fund for its mayor or council Members."The annual salary of council members shall be one dollar per year until amended by ordinance," Bay Harbor town clerk Yvonne Hamilton says. Council members also have a town-issued cell phone.
"The police chief is the interim Town Manager," Hamilton says. His annual salary is $265,000.
Biscayne Park (Population 3,117)
An ordinance sets the compensation for the mayor and commissioners. "They receive compensation [as a] flat sum to reimburse them for their expenses," village clerk Pamela Latimore says. "They do not receive a salary."
The village reimburses commissioners and the mayor for travel, promotional activities, and memberships in organizations like the Florida League of Cities. Biscayne Park budgets $1,500 for commissioners' travel, $1,000 for promotional activities, and $900 for subscriptions and memberships. It doesn't issue credit cards, car, or phone allowances to elected officials, though they receive a cell phone.
The village manager makes a salary of $176,000.
"There is no contribution to any retirement program for the elected officials," Latimore says.
Coral Gables (Population 48,353)
According to Coral Gables public records coordinator Maria Gonzalez, an ordinance sets the compensation for elected officials.Gonzalez says the mayor's annual salary is $70,980, the vice mayor gets $68,923, and the three commissioners receive $67,000 each. Each gets an expense allowance of $9,600 and a car allowance of $8,446. They do not have city-issued credit cards but do receive city-issued cell phones.
The city manager receives a salary of $294,137.
Cutler Bay (Population 43,762)
A charter sets the salaries of the mayor, vice mayor, and council members, with annual cost-of-living increases pegged to the consumer price index, according to Cutler Bay town clerk Mauricio Melinu. The mayor's current annual salary is $21,112, while the vice mayor and council members receive $10,555. Council members receive paid monthly travel and cell phone allowances from non-accountable funds. The mayor gets $2,400 yearly for travel and $1,800 yearly as a phone allowance. The town manager makes a salary of $323,842.
Cutler Bay participates in the Florida Retirement System (FRS).
Doral (Population 79,359)
Doral residents voted to increase council members' salaries in the November 2024 election, though the mayor's salary remained the same, Doral mayor Christi Fraga says.According to the charter, the mayor receives an annual salary of $80,690. She also gets a travel allowance of $10,000. The city's four council members earn a yearly salary of $19,355, and each receives a travel allowance of $5,000.
Elected officials do not get credit cards. However, each receives $6,000 for "dues and memberships." A council stipend allows each member a monthly allowance of $2,500 for lunch meetings or other city-related activities.
The city manager makes an annual salary of $259,047.
Fraga says Doral instituted a pension fund in 2021, then canceled it in 2023. "However, the City has always maintained a 401(b) investment retirement fund." The retirement system has a balance of about $685,000.
El Portal (Population 1,897)
Village clerk Yenise Jacobi tells New Times that the mayor and council members receive an "allocation" of $3,000 annually. The mayor and council also share a combined $10,000 "discretionary fund," which amounts to $2,000 each.Elected officials receive $5,000 for travel, according to the 2025 budget. They do not have car allowances or village-issued credit cards.
The village manager earns a salary of $145,683.
El Portal contributes to the FRS on behalf of its elected officials and has budgeted $1,850 for fiscal year 2025.
Florida City (Population 12,582)
Florida City has a strong mayor form of government, which gives the mayor executive power over daily operations. "The mayor serves as both the mayor and city manager. Therefore, the salaries for those positions are combined," Florida City finance director Chad Burkhalter says, noting that the mayor's salary is $250,328, with a $5,600 expense account. Florida City also provides the mayor with a cell phone and car.
The commissioners' annual salaries are $15,768. They also receive $48 monthly to cover their cell phones, share a city car for city business, and are reimbursed for city-related travel expenses.
"The annual cost of the elected officials' pensions adjusts with each valuation," Burkhalter said, with a current yearly cost of $49,637.
Elected officials are vested in their pensions at age 55 with 12 or more consecutive years of service as a commissioner; and, at age 55, with ten or more consecutive years as mayor; or, 12 or more consecutive years of combined service as a commissioner and mayor.

We compiled a list of elected officials' salaries across Miami-Dade, so you don't have to.
Photo by joiseyshowaa / Flickr
Golden Beach (Population 972)
The mayor and council members make a $1 annual salary. Elected officials do not receive cell phone or car allowances, and the town does not reimburse them for travel expenses.Golden Beach town clerk Lissette Perez and town manager Alex Diaz did not respond to public records requests for salary information of its elected officials. During a follow-up call, a town employee referred New Times to the town's website.
According to Golden Beach's current budget, the town manager makes an annual salary of $314,754.
The Town of Golden Beach does not contribute to any pension fund or retirement plan.
The tiny town, spanning just 0.3 square miles, calls itself "a town unlike any other."
Hialeah (Population 223,109)
In an email, Hialeah city clerk Marbelys Fatjo said that the mayor's annual salary is $150,000. The mayor also receives a yearly expense account of $40,000 to cover travel, per diem, meals, and other expenses related to his official duties.The city has a strong mayor form of government and no city manager. Council members make a yearly salary of $44,000, according to the city's website.
Hialeah eliminated pensions for elected officials in 2013.
Hialeah Gardens (Population 22,286)
The mayor, who also serves as the city manager, receives an annual salary of $157,864 and an expense allowance of $7,519 monthly, human resources coordinator Aimee De La Osa told New Times.Council members receive an annual salary of $35,613, and each gets a monthly expense allowance of $2,135.
De La Osa said the mayor receives a cell phone bill reimbursement, and council members receive a monthly stipend.
For elected officials, the city offers a matching contribution of up to five percent for its 401(a) pension plan and a two percent contribution to the 457 deferred compensation plan.
Homestead (Population 81,659)
Elected officials' salaries are set by ordinance. The mayor receives an annual salary of $6,000, according to page eight of its 2025 adopted budget.However, the budget said the mayor also gets an "auto benefit" of $12,500, an expense allowance of $22,500, a travel allotment of $7,500, and a public relations expense account totaling $9,600.
Council members receive $4,800 annually, an annual car allowance of $11,500, an expense allowance of $20,000, $5,500 for "travel and training," and a public relations purse of $7,100.
It is unclear how much the city manager earns yearly. A line item for "full-time wages" in the current budget for the city manager's office lists an amount of $625,349, and the city has not returned multiple messages seeking clarification on whether that applies to one or more persons.
The city's website states that Homestead employs a city manager, an assistant city manager, and an "assistant to the city manager.
Homestead changed its pension plan in 2002 to save money. For fiscal year 2025, the city budgeted $64,982 toward elected officials' pensions under the old plan (for those elected before February 18, 2002) and $110,236 under the new plan (for those elected after that date).
Indian Creek Village (Population 82)
The village does not compensate elected officials for their services, Indian Creek Village clerk Roseann Prado told New Times.The village manager makes an annual salary of $150,000.
Key Biscayne (Pop. 14,414)
The village charter specifies that elected officials receive no salary, car or mobile phone allowances, or village-issued credit cards. They also don't receive retirement benefits.Key Biscayne spokesperson Jessica Drouet said that the village manager, who is not elected, makes a yearly salary of $252,847.
Medley (Population 1,036)
Medley has a strong mayor form of government. A year ago, the mayor and council unanimously voted to give themselves a raise, increasing annual salaries for council members to $59,879 and mayoral compensation to $230,872 — $30,000 more per year than Miami-Dade County mayor Daniella Levine Cava gets paid.However, Medley leaders have assured taxpayers that they, too, have limits.
"These amounts shall be capped at their present rates and shall not increase or be subject to any raises, cost of living, or any other increases," the Medley compensation ordinance says.
The mayor and council members have not received credit cards since a 2012 New Times story revealed an official went ham on his town-issued credit card.
A county ethics report said that the town contributes five percent of gross salary to all elected officials' 401(a) accounts. Medley also provides elected officials with a town-funded pension plan.
Miami (Population 455,924)
An ordinance sets the mayor's salary at $97,000. They also receive fringe benefits, including $2,500 for expenses and a $300 cell phone allowance.The commissioners' salaries are 60 percent of the mayor's salary, currently $58,200. They also receive benefits, including $2667 for expenses, $300 for cell phones, and $900 for auto.
Miami's city manager draws a salary of $471,714.
The City of Miami contributes 20 percent to a 401(a) retirement account for the mayor and commissioners, according to
Miami communications director Kenia Fallat. "The mayor's executive pay is $3,730 biweekly, and the commissioners' pay is $4,850 monthly," Fallat said.
The city also funds a retirement trust for its elected officers. Fallat said that the contribution for the 2024 plan year was $631,473. The mayor and commissioners do not partake in the Elected Officials Retirement Trust, except Commissioner Joe Carollo, who vested during his previous tenure. According to city code, any person elected to the office of mayor or commissioner after October 22, 2009, is not eligible to receive the benefits.
Miami Beach (Population 79,607)
Miami Beach operates on a "commission/city manager" form of government, its 2024 proposed budget book says. The city commission consists of the mayor and six commissioners, who serve as the policy-making body of the city. An ordinance sets the compensation of elected officials.Miami Beach communications director Melissa Berthier told New Times that the mayor makes an annual salary of $10,000, while commissioners make $6000 annually. The mayor also receives taxable fringe benefits of $37,800, and commissioners get taxable fringe benefits of $42,516. Elected officials can also request reimbursement for travel conducted on city business.
The city manager makes an annual salary of $375,000.
Miami Beach funds retirement plans for its commissioners and mayor.
Miami-Dade County (Population 2.687 million)
According to Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Olga Vega, a charter sets the commissioners' salaries at $6,000 annually. In 2025, commissioners also receive an "executive benefit allowance" of $19,186, a car allowance of $11,192, and an expense allowance of $43,000& — a total cash value of $79,378.The county also funds commissioners' 401(a) retirement accounts with $69,000, though Vega said the actual contribution could vary depending on how benefits are received.
In January 2007, the Miami-Dade County charter was amended to create a strong mayor form of government. In 2020, Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava in 2020 cut her pay from $250,000 to $200,000.
The county contributes to the FRS fund for elected officials' pensions at rates set by the legislature.
Miami Gardens (Population 110,717)
Miami Gardens city clerk Mario Bataille said that council members earn an annual salary of $40,000, while the mayor receives $80,000 annually. Council members receive a yearly auto allowance of $4,800 and a telephone stipend of $552, and the mayor gets $6,000 per year for auto expenses and the same $552 telephone stipend. The mayor and council members have an annual budget of $14,400 for expenses.The city issues the mayor and council members credit cards for travel. The mayor also has a separate travel budget of $15,000.
The city manager makes an annual salary of $317,207.
Bataille said that Miami Gardens contributed $45,160 to the FRS accounts of the mayor and council members.
Miami Lakes (Population 31,238)
The mayor currently receives a salary of $25,147, town clerk Gina Inguanzo said. This amount is adjusted annually based on the consumer price index. In addition, the mayor receives a $600 monthly car allowance.The council members do not earn salaries. However, they each get a $500 monthly car allowance and a $962 monthly expense allowance.
Ingianzo said the mayor and council receive a tablet or phone. Miami Lakes also budgets $1250 annually for awards and proclamations for its council.
"Only the Mayor is part of FRS; the town pays amounts established by the Florida Legislature each year," Ingianzo said.
The town manager earns an annual salary of $226,986. According to his job description, one of his duties is to drive the neighborhoods of Miami Lakes at least once a week.
Miami Shores (Population 11,530)
Village clerk Ysabely Rodriguez said the mayor and city council members are each paid $1 yearly. Miami Shores also pays the expenses for council members' professional development.According to Mayor George Burch, the village manager receives a salary and benefits of $290,000.
Miami Shores does not contribute to elected officials' retirement plans.
Miami Springs (Population 13,325)
A charter sets the salaries of the mayor and city council members. According to city clerk Erika Santamaria, the mayor's annual salary is currently $7,800, while council members receive $6,000.The city pays the cell phone bills for the mayor and council members. They have no travel or expense allowance or any other taxable fringe benefit. Council members receive city-issued credit cards, but the clerk maintains them and gives them to the council members only when they plan to travel.
They share a budget line item for council promotions and city events, with $34,400 budgeted for 2025.
The city manager makes an annual salary of $185,400; elected officials receive no retirement benefits.
North Bay Village (Population 7,930)
A charter sets the salaries of the mayor and village commissioners. According to village clerk Alba Chang, the mayor earns an annual salary of $7,800, while commissioners receive $6,300. The commissioners and mayor do not receive car allowances, but they are issued a village cell phone and receive reimbursement for travel expenses.The city manager makes an annual salary of $175,000.
The village does not contribute to any retirement plan for its elected officials or the manager.
North Miami (Population 59,008)
An ordinance sets the compensation for the mayor, council members, and the elected clerk.The mayor's salary is $89,880, while council members receive $77,910. The city clerk, an elected position in North Miami, also receives a yearly salary of $77,910.
The mayor and council members receive a "P-card" or purchase card, a city credit card, and a $200 monthly cell phone allowance.
The clerk's office responded to a public record request that the car allowance is "$750 per month for elected officials or assigned city vehicle option."
The city manager makes $283,569 annually.
North Miami participates in the FRS. "The required employer FRS contribution rate for elected officials is 58.68% of salary as of July 1, 2024," the clerk's office said.
North Miami Beach (Population 42,789)
An ordinance sets the compensation of elected officials. The mayor's annual salary is $89,880, while council members make $77,910 yearly.City officials did not return emails and phone messages seeking 2025 salary figures. Instead, they referred New Times to the city's website and "open finance" search box, a feature the city says is part of its "commitment to delivering financial transparency." However, searches for elected officials' and city managers' salaries yield no results.
The city manager's office did not return calls asking about the office's annual salary.
A 2023 Local 10 investigation reported on the misuse of taxpayer funds and "egregious" spending by NMB officials, including expenditures on Amazon "to the tune of almost $300,000."
According to Local 10, North Miami Beach has faced turmoil, including city employees arrested for stealing Publix gift cards meant for residents, the mayor's arrest, and absentee commissioners missing meetings and delaying city business.
Opa-locka (Population 15,794)
Opa-locka city clerk Joanna Flores said the mayor, vice mayor, and commissioners receive $6,600 annually, though they don't get retirement benefits or health insurance.Elected officials receive $300 per month as a reimbursable expense allowance. Officials do not receive a city car, gas, or credit card.
The annual salary for the city manager is $190,000.
Palmetto Bay (Population: 24,264)
A village charter sets the salaries of council members, who receive $12,000 annually, and the mayor, who makes $24,000 annually.Additionally, the village provides taxable fringe benefits to cover phone and healthcare allowance. These benefits vary for each council member and the mayor. Some do not take all the allowances, and those who accept the health allowance receive individual amounts ranging from $3,562 to $9,503 annually.
Council members can participate in the village's group health insurance plan and receive the same benefits as regular full-time employees, human resources manager Jessica Mak told New Times. Those participating in the health plan are reimbursed for health expenses up to $1,350 monthly.
Mak said the council spent $5,500 on donations and $4,622.77 on travel last year.
In January, village manager Nick Marano proposed adding a monthly car allowance for council members that would cost $24,000 annually, according to an internal email vice mayor Mark Merwitzer, who opposes the measure, forwarded to New Times.
"The optics of increasing council benefits while simultaneously discussing tax increases would severely damage public trust," Merwitzer said in an email.
The village manager receives an annual compensation of $210,968, which includes a monthly $150 phone allowance.
Pinecrest (Population: 18,051)
Pinecrest's charter states that council members and the mayor shall serve without compensation but receive reimbursement per applicable law. They are reimbursed for travel related to their official duties, with an account budgeted at $25,580."These funds allow village council to travel to several conferences, including the Miami-Dade Days in Tallahassee and National League of Cities, as well as the Miami-Dade League of Cities monthly meetings; and also includes funds for the Youth Advisory Council conference shuttle bus," village clerk Priscilla Torres said in an email.
The village manager earns an annual salary of $277,095.
South Miami (Population: 12,073)
An ordinance, which was last updated in 2004, sets the compensation for the mayor, vice mayor, and city commissioners. The mayor's annual salary is $14,000, while the vice mayor and commissioners earn $12,000.In addition to salaries, elected officials receive taxable fringe benefits over 12 months. These include a mobile phone allowance of $1,150 for the mayor and $962 for the vice mayor and commissioners. The mayor also receives a $500 car allowance.
South Miami reimburses city-related travel up to $1,200 a year. Commissioners each receive $1,500 in discretionary funds, while the mayor gets $2,000.
South Miami's deputy city manager, Samantha Fraga-Lopez, told New Times the city manager's annual salary is $275,286.
Sunny Isles Beach (Population: 21,885)
The mayor receives a base salary of $28,158, according to Sunny Isles Beach clerk Mauricio Betancur, while commissioners make $22,526 yearly. Both the mayor and commissioners receive an annual expense stipend of $6,000.The city manager earns an annual salary of $276,894, and elected officials receive contributions to FRS.
Surfside (Population: 5,472)
The town charter sets the salaries of the mayor and commissioners at $1 each. They are each provided with mobile phones, according to town manager Mark Blumstein. The city manager earns an annual salary of $250,000.Officials are not issued expense accounts, travel allowances, or town credit cards. The town does not contribute to pensions or retirement accounts for elected officials.
Sweetwater (Population: 21,321)
The annual compensation for the mayor ($195,000 and city commissioners ($12,000) is set by ordinance during the budget process. City Commissioners receive an annual salary of $12,000, while the Mayor earns $195,000.
"The Mayor also serves as the city administrator," Sweetwater spokesperson Alvaro Zabaleta says.
Additionally, the mayor and commissioners receive $30,000 annually for expenses, and the commissioners receive an additional $7,200 as a car allowance and $2,600 monthly for council expenses.
The mayor has a city-issued credit card, while commissioners do not.
The City of Sweetwater is an FRS provider, and the mayor and council members receive a pension.
Virginia Gardens (Population: 2,364)
The mayor's salary is $15,503, with a $4,920 travel budget expense, according to Virginia Gardens Village Clerk Maritza Fernandez, while council members earn $6,460 annually.The village pays the mayor's cell phone bill. No elected officials receive a car or expense allowance.
Virginia Gardens has a strong mayor system and no manager.
The village does not contribute to retirement plans for elected officials.
West Miami (Population: 6,944)
The city charter sets the compensation of elected officials. The mayor and commissioners are paid $20 per meeting they attend and receive $1,200, according to West Miami city clerk Annery Gonzalez.
West Miami elected officials receive annual non-accountable expense allowances: the mayor, $5,000; the vice-mayor, $4,000; and the commissioners, $3,000 each.
Gonzales said the total amount budgeted for West Miami's city commission is $159,218.
The city manager earns an annual salary of $236,000, and the elected officials receive no retirement benefits.