Division of Administrative Hearings judges get a bump in pay
Florida lawmakers didn’t forget the “unsung heroes” of the court system — judges of compensation claims and administrative law judges — when they approved a $112.1 billion budget for FY 2022-23.
Division of Administrative Hearings Chief Judge and Director Peter Antonacci said he was grateful that lawmakers agreed to grant pay raises of up to 24%.
“I’m incredibly appreciative that the governor recommended it and the Legislature acted on it,” he said.
The proposed budget would increase the annual salary for a judge of compensation claims from $128,300 to $160,000. Administrative law judges would see their $126,700 salary rise to $140,000.
The money should help the division recruit five judges of compensation claims it needs to fill vacancies, Antonacci said.
Sen. Kelli Stargel
“The last vacancy we had, we only had two applicants,” he said. “It’s certainly not a good situation.”
Judges of compensation claims work out of the limelight but play a vital role, Antonacci said.
“It’s a very important part of our system and the system is very efficient,” he said. “They award damages and help people get back on the job.”
Rep. Jay Trumbull
Last year, JCCs awarded $2 billion in damages in Florida, Antonacci said.
The latest move should also help the division overcome a setback it suffered in 2020 when Gov. Ron DeSantis, citing uncertainty about the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, vetoed HB 1049.
The measure by Rep. Charlie Stone, R-Ocala, would have raised JCC salaries to the same level as a county court judge.
But DeSantis noted in his veto letter that when combined with a 3% pay raise given to all state workers that year, the bill would have given JCCs a 25% raise.
“While I commend the work of all judges of compensation claims, a 22% salary increase combined with a 3% pay raise is problematic given the changes to our state budget outlook due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” DeSantis wrote.
Antonacci credits Senate Budget Chair Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, and House Budget Chair Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City, and their lieutenants, Sen. Ben Albritton, R-Bartow, and Rep. Cyndy Stevenson, R-St. Augustine, for championing the division’s request during budget negotiations this year.
“They were rock stars for us, they took our issues and ran with them, and it wasn’t easy to do,” Antonacci said. “Giving raises to a bunch of lawyers isn’t an argument that always resonates.”
