Planning commission extends executive director's contract to 2031 and approves a 4.25% raise plus $5,000 bonus

The Hillsborough County City/County Planning Commission on April 13 unanimously extended Executive Director Melissa Zornitta's contract and approved a compensation adjustment.

After reviewing the written staff evaluations and talking through recruitment risks and comparables, Commissioner Jemison moved to extend Zornitta's contract for five years (through the end of 2031); the motion passed on a 6‑0 roll call.

Commissioners then debated pay approaches (percentage increase, lump sum or bonus) and market comparables. Staff reported typical staff merit increases this year ranged from 3.5% up to 4.25%; Zornitta said she prefers parity with staff and suggested a bonus for any amount above that. Commissioner Linkous proposed a 4.25% increase with a $5,000 bonus to address uncertainty in future budgets and recruitment pressures; the commission approved that package by unanimous roll call.

Zornitta's base salary before the action was stated as $187,899. The approved package (4.25% increase plus $5,000 bonus) places her compensation above $195,000 (commissioners noted it would approach $200,000 when combined). Zornitta thanked the commission and said she plans to continue agency work on regional coordination and ongoing planning projects.

What happens next: the commission's personnel actions will be processed administratively by staff and reflected in payroll and in the executive director's contract documentation.