Pinellas County Commissioner Vince Nowicki inquired about serving as his own legislative aide and keeping the additional salary for himself, and sought a position as City Manager for Treasure Island while serving on the County Commission.
Nowicki told Florida Politics the aide salary was a joke, and that the City Manager job was merely an inquiry into whether it would be appropriate.
The two efforts were revealed by Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala during a Commission work session discussing, among other things, the county budget and ongoing Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts seeking to trim budgets and reduce tax burden.
At the end of a more than three-hour meeting, Latvala expressed his appreciation for Nowicki’s support for the DOGE mission.
“That’s his job and I support him wholeheartedly in that. That’s what he was elected to do,” Latvala said.
But he went on to describe “another position that he tried to get in Pinellas County” and efforts to take an aide’s salary in addition to his own if he served as his own aide rather than hiring one.
It’s worth noting that Nowicki has since hired an aide, and he never actually applied for the City Manager position.
“The ‘two salaries’ comment was a joke I made shortly after being elected, when I learned I would be hiring an aide,” Nowicki explained in a text message to Florida Politics.
“I chose to hire that individual at $20K-plus less than county policy allows and gave my aide the opportunity to work their way up to a higher salary based on performance. I believe DOGE would view that as a strong example of fiscal responsibility looking out for the taxpayers, who I represent and likely give me an A+.”
Pinellas County Commissioners earn a little less than $120,000. Commissioners typically set the salary for their aides, which typically run somewhere in the low- to mid-$70,000s and max out at about $90,000.
Regarding the City Manager job with Treasure Island, Nowicki rejects criticism about his inquiry.
“I was contacted by residents and community leaders about the possibility of applying for an interim position. From the outset, I questioned whether it would be appropriate, so I sought a formal opinion from the Florida Commission on Ethics,” Nowicki said.
“They determined it would not be a conflict. However, I chose not to apply, because my full focus is on serving Pinellas County, where I still have much to learn and important work to accomplish.”
A Treasure Island City Commissioner who asked not to be identified told Florida Politics that Nowicki not only sought a position as interim City Manager, he was actively whipping support among Commissioners. Nowicki went so far, the source said, as offering to accept the position at a lower salary than others. The person said Nowicki never applied because he didn’t have the support needed to be hired, adding that several Commissioners agreed he lacked the experience needed.
Pinellas County Administrator Barry Burton, in response to an inquiry from Florida Politics asking for confirmation of Latvala’s remarks, declined, saying he cannot comment on statements made by Commissioners.
Florida Politics has also requested any email correspondence related to conversations about Nowicki hiring an aide, or serving as his own. As of publication, the county had not yet responded to the request for public records.
While Latvala referred to Nowicki as a friend, he was not happy about either effort.
“I mean, what does DOGE think about that? What does DOGE think about an elected official trying to be their aide? I mean that’s just mind-boggling,” Latvala said Thursday, implying hypocrisy in supporting a lean budget while also attempting to leverage a higher salary.
When Latvala ended his remarks, Commissioner Brian Scott could be heard saying, “well said.”
Nowicki said he responded to the criticism so the Commission could move on with its work.
“Like my colleagues we all represent the residents, so I wanted to address this with facts so we can keep our focus where it belongs on their best interest,” he said.
Nowicki, a Republican, was elected last year, unseating Democrat Charlie Justice. As one of two Republicans elected in 2024, Nowicki was part of a cycle that saw the Commission go from a GOP majority to a 6-1 supermajority.
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