Residents can look up exactly what every Miami Beach city employee earns, from part-time commissioners to the city manager, in a searchable database that launched the week of July 7.

The tool at apps.miamibeachfl.gov/salaries covers more than 2,400 employees and shows annual salary, total gross pay, and years of service for each year going back to 2021. Users can search by name, job title, or department.

Commissioner David Suarez proposed the database, including the five-year history. "This is just transparency," Suarez said at the commission's Wednesday, June 24 meeting. "I, for one, want to know exactly where our dollars are being spent and how much money a certain individual is making."

The commission voted 6-1 that night to approve it. Commissioner Monica Matteo-Salinas cast the lone dissenting vote, saying she worried city staff could be "bullied" online. Commissioners Tanya Katzoff Bhatt and Alex Fernandez raised concerns about employee safety and poaching by competitors but ultimately voted yes. Mayor Steven Meiner sided with Suarez, saying transparency would "win out."

Who earns what

The database reveals that the city's highest-paid employees in 2025 aren't top administrators. They're fire captains and police lieutenants whose overtime pushes total compensation far above their base pay.

Fire Capt. Christian Chavez topped the list with $490,501 in total 2025 gross pay on a base salary of $172,696. His total compensation has more than doubled since 2021, when he earned $218,857. Fire Capt. Timothy Barreto was close behind at $480,002, and Police Lt. Javier Fernandez earned $461,495.

City Manager Eric Carpenter holds the highest base salary at $397,837, with total 2025 gross pay of $454,254. City Attorney Ricardo Dopico's base is $382,455, with $420,865 in total pay.

Elected officials, who serve part-time, earn far less. The mayor's base salary is $10,000 and commissioners earn $6,000, though stipends and vehicle and phone benefits push total compensation higher. Mayor Meiner's total 2025 compensation was approximately $48,000, according to the Miami Herald. Suarez donates his salary and has proposed eliminating car and phone allowances for elected officials.

Budget context

The database launched as the commission prepares for budget discussions based on a rolled-back tax rate pushed by Suarez that would require more than $20 million in spending cuts. The city's operating budget has grown 45% over five years, from $627 million to $911 million.

Miami Beach's database goes further than what a new state law requires. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1329 on Wednesday, June 24, mandating that cities and counties post quarterly pay summaries starting in 2027. Miami Beach's tool offers individual employee data with five years of history.

The city of Miami launched a similar portal in May 2026, though it shows only current-year data without historical comparisons. Miami-Dade County also posts pay data online.

Commissioner Joseph Magazine separately proposed a broader online portal to track the city's full budget, revenues, and expenditures at a "granular" level. That measure passed unanimously on June 24, but the portal has not yet launched.

Residents can access the salary database at apps.miamibeachfl.gov/salaries.