Key Points
The Children’s Trust of Alachua County (CTAC) voted to accept Executive Director Marsha Kiner’s evaluation and give her the same 6% pay increase as all other staff during a regular meeting on Monday.
Kiner, who grew up in East Gainesville, has served as the CTAC executive director since 2022.
CTAC Chair Ken Cornell explained how the assessment process worked, noting that board members received an evaluation survey. He added that the board also asked for a “360 review,” where CTAC staff also had the chance to assess Kiner’s performance.
“…What I had an opportunity to do was review all of you all’s feedback [and] review all the feedback from the staff,” Cornell said. “And then Marsha and I had a series of actually three conversations.”
Cornell said he felt the feedback from the evaluation “was very valuable.”
“I will tell you that in our one-on-one conversations, Marsha is very self-reflective from both the folks that she reports to and the folks that report to her about how she can not only improve her personal skill set but also how she can improve how people perceive her skill set, and then what things she can do systemically so that if there is no Marsha, the next person can step into her role…”
Cornell opened the floor for discussion on Kiner’s performance. Each one of the board members present had positive feedback to give, with a majority touting her leadership skills and positive energy in handling situations.
Before he opened the floor for comments from board members, Cornell suggested that – in addition to the 6% pay increase given to all CTAC staff – the board give Kiner an added 2% raise.
Kiner’s contract states that the CTAC is obligated to pay her an annual base salary of $125,000, “payable in biweekly installments pursuant to CTAC policy.”
The agreement further states that Kiner’s base salary “shall be reviewed annually subject to Section 11, Performance Evaluation.”
“The salary may be increased in such amounts and to such an extent as CTAC may, determine based on annual review of the Director’s performance,” the contract states.
Kiner’s first performance review, according to the contract, was due in 2023 on or soon after the anniversary of her hire. Board Member Lee Pinkoson said he felt a 6% pay increase was “generous.”
“I think the rate of inflation now is between 2 and 3%, and the issue that potentially could happen is there could be some friction, because everybody here works their derriere off,” he said while addressing Kiner. “I think 6% is generous, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you probably don’t deserve [it]…But everybody deserves it, because you all [CTAC staff] do a tremendous job.”
Board Member Tina Certain shared a similar perspective as Pinkoson.
“I believe in compensating employees fairly. I believe in the generosity of benefits,” she said. “But I also walk the fine line of us doing this on the public’s dime, right?”
Cornell explained his reasoning for recommending the additional 2% increase, on top of the standard 6% raise.
“She [Kiner] and her team have done a lot. And so I just thought it was more of a want to recognize that,” Cornell said. “I want your team to recognize that we recognize that. It’s not a lot of money, but it’s more symbolic. And so that was why I brought that up.”
A motion was made by Certain to receive Kiner’s evaluation and accept the same 6% pay increase that staff received.
The motion ended up being divided into two parts, with the board first voting unanimously to accept the evaluation. Members Kamela Patton and Nancy Hardt were absent from the meeting.
The board then voted 6-1 to approve the same 6% raise, with Cornell dissenting.
Town halls scheduled for feedback on literacy
There will be two upcoming town hall meetings for community members to share their input on literacy in Alachua County.
The first meeting is slated for 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the Eastside High School Auditorium (1201 SE 43rd St., Gainesville).
The second town hall will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30, in the Santa Fe High School Auditorium (16213 NW U.S. Highway 441, Alachua).
The CTAC is currently in the midst of developing a comprehensive literacy plan to improve literacy in the county.
Those who cannot attend the two town halls but would like to offer feedback can do so by emailing alachuacountyreads@gmail.com.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with Marsha Kiner’s salary and contract information.
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Come on Mainstreet, what’s the salary??????
Other People’s Money. What does this organization ACTUALLY do? They are a taxing entity.?
Doing the job of PARENTS? What are the salaries?
Is this the group that is handing us a TAX INCREASE?
Well, Maybe I am thinking of a different organization. Then it is ok to give another 2% because you WANT to. Hey, it is not your money… IT IS OTHER PEOPLE’s MONEY
Wake up people of Gainesville and Alachua County!!!. They shoved the children’s trust down our throats, funded through Alachua County property taxes. We are a family of five struggling to make ends meet, while our property taxes go up so these people in this organization get a 6% raise! Outrageous. Let’s eliminate the children’s trust. I have three children of my own. I do not want higher property taxes to fund other children’s’ educations. I cannot afford it!
You’re re telling me that we are giving raises like this when Alachua County was just recently found to be overspending and wasting money in the MULTI-MILLIONS by the state CFO….. but yet this woman gets more? Is she getting the money that we recently cut from schools and teachers? Some disgusting stuff going on in this county
Commissioner Ken Cornell’s push for an extra 2% raise—on top of the already generous 6%—for the Children’s Trust Executive Director is an insult to every teacher in Alachua County. Teachers, the very people shaping our children’s futures, are handed a meager 1.5% raise and told to be grateful, while bureaucrats at the top get rewarded for “symbolic recognition.” The executive director position doesn’t even require teaching credentials—just a degree and management experience—yet somehow it deserves nearly five times the raise of a classroom educator? If this doesn’t spark outrage from the teachers’ union, what will?
With 6% raise she makes as much or more than many Pharmacists.
Face it…
CTAC has so much money they need to raise salaries to push it out.
After buying a building and spending several years trying to figure out how they are going to spend the 7 to 9 million a year that pours in.
Voters, please stop falling for ballot initiatives that pull at heartstrings related to helping children. Creating a new bureaucracy does NOT help children.
This CT is a sweet gig for the board. What a money pit.