CRESTVIEW — The City Council has a number of ideas for inclusion in the 2014-15 fiscal budget.
Councilman Shannon Hayes has recommended 1 to 3 percent city employee raises.
Councilman Tom Gordon has suggested implementing a system to stream and store live video feeds from council meetings.
However, another of Gordon's suggestions — hiring a council administrative assistant — has generated the most discussion.
The support position is not new; an Administrative Services director previously filled the position, he said. Upon that employee's 2012 retirement, the city clerk's office assumed his responsibilities, forcing Betsy Roy to handle responsibilities not delegated by city charter.
"That's been on my mind since day one," Councilman Joe Blocker said during a council workshop on Monday. "I don't believe the clerk has the time or people to run this city."
The position's salary could be offset by a full-time assistant monitoring financial matters to eliminate wasteful spending, Gordon said.
Council President Robyn Helt, who has supported the idea of having a city administrator oversee all departments, said a council administrative assistant would be helpful.
"We have a structure that is deficient to meet the needs of our citizens," she said. "It's proven on a daily basis, it's proven on a monthly basis and proven on a yearly basis."
Creating a city administrator would require a change in the city charter, which voters have defeated at least five times since the idea was first presented in the 1960s.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Council mulls potential administrative assistant to solve 'deficient' structure