Pension flap played a role in panel's salary vote
Board recommended 8 percent increase for executive, but 2 percent hike for council
By Bryan P. Sears, bsears@patuxent.com
Posted 11/23/09
Pension benefits for County Council members may have played a role in the disparity in raises a county salary board recommended last week for the council and county executive.
The county’s Personnel and Salary Advisory Board voted unanimously on Nov. 18 to recommend an 8 percent raise for the next county executive — but only a 2 percent raise for the next seven-member council.
By law, salaries for county elected officials cannot be increased nor decreased during the four-year term. The new recommendations must be approved by the County Council and would not go into effect until the next council and new county executive take office in December 2010.
If approved, the executive’s salary would increase from $150,000 to $162,000. The 2 percent raise for members of the council would increase the base council salary by $1,080 to $55,080 annually. The chairman’s salary would increase by $1,200 to $61,200.
Teresa Tacka, chief of classification and compensation, had recommended that the board approve 8 percent raises for both. Tacka said the raises would be equivalent to what general county employees received in the four years — county employees received a total salary increase of 8 percent between 2007 and the current budget year, she said.
But the board made the change to Tacka’s recommendation without debate or discussion during a seven-minute hearing.
William Flattery, chairman of the four-member board, praised the management of County Executive Jim Smith but said the board voted for a smaller raise for the council after taking into account “all of the other perks and the other benefits that go with that salary.”
Public outcry began last month after it was reported that five-term Democratic Councilman Vince Gardina, 54, planned to retire at the end of the current term and would be eligible to collect 100 percent of his $54,000 salary upon leaving office.
Four other councilmen — Democrats Joseph Bartenfelder, Kevin Kamenetz and Sam Moxley and Republican Bryan McIntire — have served four terms and would be immediately eligible for 80 percent of their current salary if they are not re-elected or do not run in 2010.
Flattery later said board members gathered 10 to 15 minutes before the hearing and discussed the pension and a car allowance available to council members.
The county executive also receives a pension as well as a car, which is driven by a security detail. Those benefits and others were not considered in deciding recommendations for changing the salary of the next executive, Flattery said, adding that at the time he was not aware that Smith has a driver or security.
So far, three councilmen have said publicly they will not vote for raises — Bartenfelder, Kamenetz and McIntire.
Bartenfelder said voting down raises doesn’t mean the council shouldn’t also reform the pension system.
“Reform of the pension system should happen anyway,” Bartenfelder said. “It doesn’t have to be linked to a pay raise or anything.”
“I don’t think the two are really related,’ McIntire agreed. “I think we should review the pension regardless.”
And on Monday, Kanenetz proposed a bill to cap pensions in the future at 60 percent (see linked story).
Open meetings violation
Meanwhile, a county official acknowledged Friday that the board’s 10 to 15 minute pre-meeting discussion violated the state Open Meetings Act. The board did not open that discussion to the public. (See linked story).
County Administrative Officer Fred Homan acknowledged Nov. 20 that the board violated the act by not opening the unannounced meeting.
“We do believe that, in fact, they did (violate the law) and we’re going to institute some training,” Homan said.
The state Open Meetings Act requires government boards hold all meetings in public. Meetings may be closed due to specific circumstances, but a proposal to close a meeting must be voted on in a public session.
An informal gathering would not necessarily be considered a public meeting. But when a majority of the members are present and discussing public business, the provisions of the law are in effect.
The county’s Personnel and Salary Advisory Board voted unanimously on Nov. 18 to recommend an 8 percent raise for the next county executive — but only a 2 percent raise for the next seven-member council.
By law, salaries for county elected officials cannot be increased nor decreased during the four-year term. The new recommendations must be approved by the County Council and would not go into effect until the next council and new county executive take office in December 2010.
If approved, the executive’s salary would increase from $150,000 to $162,000. The 2 percent raise for members of the council would increase the base council salary by $1,080 to $55,080 annually. The chairman’s salary would increase by $1,200 to $61,200.
Teresa Tacka, chief of classification and compensation, had recommended that the board approve 8 percent raises for both. Tacka said the raises would be equivalent to what general county employees received in the four years — county employees received a total salary increase of 8 percent between 2007 and the current budget year, she said.
But the board made the change to Tacka’s recommendation without debate or discussion during a seven-minute hearing.
William Flattery, chairman of the four-member board, praised the management of County Executive Jim Smith but said the board voted for a smaller raise for the council after taking into account “all of the other perks and the other benefits that go with that salary.”
Public outcry began last month after it was reported that five-term Democratic Councilman Vince Gardina, 54, planned to retire at the end of the current term and would be eligible to collect 100 percent of his $54,000 salary upon leaving office.
Four other councilmen — Democrats Joseph Bartenfelder, Kevin Kamenetz and Sam Moxley and Republican Bryan McIntire — have served four terms and would be immediately eligible for 80 percent of their current salary if they are not re-elected or do not run in 2010.
Flattery later said board members gathered 10 to 15 minutes before the hearing and discussed the pension and a car allowance available to council members.
The county executive also receives a pension as well as a car, which is driven by a security detail. Those benefits and others were not considered in deciding recommendations for changing the salary of the next executive, Flattery said, adding that at the time he was not aware that Smith has a driver or security.
So far, three councilmen have said publicly they will not vote for raises — Bartenfelder, Kamenetz and McIntire.
Bartenfelder said voting down raises doesn’t mean the council shouldn’t also reform the pension system.
“Reform of the pension system should happen anyway,” Bartenfelder said. “It doesn’t have to be linked to a pay raise or anything.”
“I don’t think the two are really related,’ McIntire agreed. “I think we should review the pension regardless.”
And on Monday, Kanenetz proposed a bill to cap pensions in the future at 60 percent (see linked story).
Open meetings violation
Meanwhile, a county official acknowledged Friday that the board’s 10 to 15 minute pre-meeting discussion violated the state Open Meetings Act. The board did not open that discussion to the public. (See linked story).
County Administrative Officer Fred Homan acknowledged Nov. 20 that the board violated the act by not opening the unannounced meeting.
“We do believe that, in fact, they did (violate the law) and we’re going to institute some training,” Homan said.
The state Open Meetings Act requires government boards hold all meetings in public. Meetings may be closed due to specific circumstances, but a proposal to close a meeting must be voted on in a public session.
An informal gathering would not necessarily be considered a public meeting. But when a majority of the members are present and discussing public business, the provisions of the law are in effect.
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