Melbourne Beach Approves Pay Raise for Code Enforcement After Sixth Resignation

Town struggles to retain code officers amid concerns over short-term rentals and lack of enforcement

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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The Melbourne Beach Town Commission unanimously approved a $2-per-hour pay increase for its code enforcement officer position after the town's most recent hire resigned, marking the sixth departure from the role in the past year. Town Manager A. Marie Smith cited low pay as the primary reason for the high turnover, and the commission voted to authorize increasing the salary to help retain someone in the position.

Why it matters

Code enforcement has become a central issue for the town, with short-term rentals and a lack of enforcement being major concerns raised by residents during the recent election cycle. The frequent turnover in the code enforcement role has created gaps in the town's ability to address these issues, prompting the commission to take action to try and stabilize the position.

The details

The town's most recent code enforcement officer resigned on Wednesday, continuing a pattern of high turnover in the role over the past year. Town Manager A. Marie Smith noted this was the sixth code enforcement officer to leave the position in the last 12 months, and that low pay was the primary factor contributing to the departures. To address this, the commission voted unanimously to authorize increasing the hourly wage for the code enforcement officer by $2 per hour. They also removed a requirement that applicants have experience with the town's software, allowing the town manager to train a new hire after employment.

  • On February 23, 2026, the Melbourne Beach Town Commission held a regular meeting.
  • During the meeting, Town Manager A. Marie Smith announced the most recent code enforcement officer had submitted their resignation on Wednesday.

The players

Alison Dennington

The mayor of Melbourne Beach, who was not in attendance at the meeting.

Terry Cronin

The vice mayor of Melbourne Beach, who presided over the meeting in the mayor's absence.

A. Marie Smith

The town manager of Melbourne Beach, who announced the latest code enforcement officer resignation and recommended a pay increase to help retain someone in the role.

Ryan Knight

The town attorney for Melbourne Beach, who advised the commission that they did not need a special meeting to approve the pay increase.

Sherri Quarry

A commissioner for the town of Melbourne Beach, who recommended approving a $2 per hour pay increase.

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What they’re saying

“This is the sixth code enforcement officer in the past year, and my understanding is almost every single one of them was because of the pay.”

— A. Marie Smith, Town Manager (tapinto.net)

“I would be comfortable with making the recommendation of going up to $2 additional per hour just to get the ball rolling and not have a special meeting.”

— Sherri Quarry, Commissioner (tapinto.net)

“I would just reiterate … that was really like the number one issue during the election season was short-term rentals and code enforcement and our lack of code enforcement. So, getting this code enforcement is a priority for the commission.”

— Terry Cronin, Vice Mayor (tapinto.net)

What’s next

The town manager will discuss the potential $2 per hour pay increase with the finance and human resources departments, review salaries in similarly sized municipalities, and then repost the code enforcement officer job listing.

The takeaway

Melbourne Beach's struggle to retain code enforcement officers highlights the importance of competitive compensation for municipal roles, especially when addressing high-priority issues like short-term rental regulation. The town's willingness to act quickly to raise pay demonstrates its commitment to stabilizing this critical position and improving code enforcement efforts.