Pembroke Pines City Commission made a unanimous decision to search for a new director who will be solely responsible for raising funds for the city's charter school system.

The proposed $75,000-per-year position will involve culling an expected $1 million from local businesses, schools and other groups throughout 2009, Commissioner Angelo Castillo said.

"This is gonna be a tough job, folks," Castillo said. "Our goal is $1 million, because we need to offset teacher's aide salaries, which are the same annual amount. So, this hire needs to have a stellar background, a dynamo."

They city's seven charter schools faced a $6 million shortfall in funding from the School Board of Broward County, or about 28 percent less than the previous year, City Controller Aner Gonzalez said. The director's salary would come from the charter school's already strained $4 million reserve budget.

While Mayor Frank Ortis gave his vote of confidence, he cautioned that the $1 million figure set the city's standards too high.

"People are getting donor fatique out there, especially in this economy," Ortis said.

The commission expects to hire the fundraising director by January.