FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marcia Hope Goodwin 407-246-3107

MAYOR DYER OUTLINES PLAN FOR TRANSITION FUND

ORLANDO, FL (April 7, 2003) – Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer announced Monday that he will handle funds raised for his transition in the following manner:

Mayor Dyer has instructed the city comptroller to track all expenses related to the transition, which will include but will not be limited to the staff time of Linda Jennings, a full-time city employee who specializes in performance evaluations and who has been loaned to the transition team. The comptroller will also track expenses in the Mayor’s office as they relate to the transition, including but not limited to salary expenditures and any other full-time city employees expending significant time on transition activities.

Any outside consulting services required or incurred by the transition team will be paid, on a contract basis, out of the transition fund.

Disbursements will be made by the City Comptroller upon completion of the transition process in an effort to mitigate any financial impact that the transition might have on city departments and budgets. 

In addition, Mayor Dyer announced that Chief of Staff David Dix will be placed on the city payroll effective April 1, 2003, the day of his appointment, at an annual salary of $120,016. The range set by the city for the position is from $79,996.80 to $151,881.60.
“We are attempting to complete an exhaustive review of how the city does business during our transition. The change in administration occurred mid-term and transition was not budgeted. However, due to the financial situation of our budget, many individual and corporate citizens have stepped forward and offered their financial assistance,” Dyer said. “I have asked that these adjustments be made in how we deal with the transition fund to make absolutely certain that there is no appearance or perception of any impropriety as a result of these contributions.”

“The city is facing a budget crunch and I have asked employees to take unpaid furlough days in an effort to balance the budget. Putting the city further into debt with a transition is irresponsible and unfair,” said Dyer. 

City policies ensure up to six months severance for any appointed official who has been with the city for six years or more and city employees are allowed to accrue up to 800 hours, or 20 weeks, of vacation time.

“Both of these policies have made the transition a challenge in our present budget circumstance. The process we have put in place today prevents any employee of the city from being paid directly by the transition fund, but allows us to raise private dollars to offset transition expenses,” Dyer said. “This will help us maintain a balanced budget.”

To date, the Transition Fund has received one $5,000 contribution from the Orlando law firm Foley and Lardner. Checks are made out to the City of Orlando and contributions are tax deductible.

# # #