They're still punting.

For the second time in three days, Miami-Dade commissioners failed to vote on threatened pay cuts for county employees on Thursday -- deciding instead to recess and debate the issue again next week.

The board voted in favor of roughly $200 million in employee pay cuts last September as the crucial element in closing a $444 million budget gap.

But the 13-member board, confronted by audiences of politically influential employee union members, has proven unable to reach consensus on the mechanics of the cuts.

``I think this is an exercise in futility,'' Commissioner Katy Sorenson said before Thursday's vote to adjourn. ``Why don't we just finish this? It's embarrassing, and it's unconscionable that it's gone on this long.''

Each week the board delays implementing the pay reductions, the county sinks another $4 million in the hole, according to Mayor Carlos Alvarez.

Commissioners agreed to revisit the issue -- again -- Monday at 1 p.m.

-- JACK DOLAN

BROWARD

COFFEY JOINS EGGELLETION'S LEGAL TEAM

Suspended Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion Jr. has a new heavy hitter on his legal team: former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey.

Coffey said he has been briefly assisting Eggelletion's attorney, Johnny McCray, though McCray remains the attorney of record.

Asked about bringing Coffey on board, Eggelletion replied: ``I don't want to discuss that at all.''

Coffey, U.S. Attorney for South Florida from 1993 to 1996, has handled several high-profile cases. He served on the Democrats' side for Bush v. Gore, represented Elián González's Miami relatives, and was attorney for former Miami Mayor Joe Carollo, who won his job back after an absentee ballot fraud scandal.

Eggelletion's next hearing in federal court is Nov. 4.

-- AMY SHERMAN

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