Diamond Litty

Introducing:
Andrea Fraser Laster
Lee County’s Queen of Banked Hours

Laster’s salary is $274,633 and has accrued 2,989 hours of taxpayer funded days off worth $400k. In addition she will take home an estimated $1,171,939 pension bonus and receive an annual pension of $113,092, all paid for by taxpayers in a state where most students can’t read or write.

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Andrea Fraser Laster Banked hours Valuation:

The compensation package for Lee County Deputy County Attorney Andrea Fraser Laster illustrates a structural disconnect in municipal governance. While earning an annual base salary of $274,633 – more than triple the median household income of Lee County residents – she has accumulated nearly 3,000 banked leave hours worth upwards of $400,000. When combined with an estimated $1.17 million deferred retirement bonus through the state’s DROP system and a projected six-figure annual pension, the liability to local taxpayers is staggering.

What makes these payouts particularly difficult to defend is the local socioeconomic backdrop: Lee County’s public school system continues to struggle, with less than 50% of students testing at or above grade-level proficiency tests in English and Math. Taxpayers are effectively underwriting private-sector-level windfalls for senior county administrators while essential public outcomes lag far behind.

Contextual Data Points:

  • Median Household Income (Lee County): ~$76,000 to $83,000

  • Student Literacy Proficiency: ~47%–49% on FAST standardized assessments

  • Leave & Pension Mechanism: Florida’s Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) combined with uncapped/high-limit accrued leave payout policies.

“Laster is the latest example of the egregious level of abuse baing laid upon Lee County taxpayers.” said Dave Jaye, researcher at https://tripledippers.org/ . “How many gourmet meals, luxury cars, and vacation homes does one person need? Privatization, consolidation, and ending pension cash bonuses would help pay for real property tax relief.”