County legislators say they will take furloughs, too
But not all will offer salary to offset deficit
By Bryan P. Sears
bsears@patuxent.com
Posted 12/24/08
Baltimore County legislators say they will share the furlough pain of taking days off with other state employees, but not all of them will give the salary that would have been earned for those days back to the state.
Last week, House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller asked that legislators voluntarily donate up to five days of their salaries, after taxes, to the state general fund to offset the shortfall in tax collection.
Two-thirds of the county’s 29 senators and delegates responded when they were informally polled as to whether they would participate in the voluntary furloughs.
All 20 legislators who responded said they would take furloughs along with 67,000 state workers ordered earlier this month by Gov. Martin O’Malley to take two to five days off without pay to offset a $400 million budget shortfall projected for this year.
Lawmakers are not required to follow O’Malley’s order. Under the Maryland Constitution, they cannot be forced to take a pay cut once their term begins. But Miller wrote in a letter to state senators that he thought taking the furlough was appropriate.
“Given the severity of these economic times, I strongly believe it is both appropriate and fair for members of the General Assembly to accept a furlough consistent with the rest of state government,” Miller wrote.
While some lawmakers said they would agree to the furlough, opinions differed as to where the saved salary should go.
“The last people I trust to spend my money wisely is the Maryland state government,” said Sen. Andy Harris, a Republican who represents Cockeysville, Middle River and part of Perry Hall.
Harris said he’ll be donating “four or five days pay” to charity. He said he would decide on the charity in the next few weeks.
Harris and a small number of other Republican legislators, including Dels. William Frank and Pat McDonough, are giving part of their salary to charity.
Frank, who represents Towson, Timonium and part of Pikesville, said he was donating $850, approximately five days’ pay, before taxes. The money will be split equally between the Maryland Food Bank, Baltimore Reads and Associated Catholic Charities.
“Private groups can more efficiently meet human needs and do it better than state government,” Frank said.
The number of furlough days is based on salary level. Employees who make less than $40,000 will give up two days pay. Those making $40,000 to $59,999 will lose four days pay. Those making $60,000 or more will lose five days.
State delegates and senators earn $43,500 annually. The Department of Legislative Services estimates that one day of pay equals $120.84, or $604.20 for five days.
Del. Dana Stein, an 11th District Democrat, is one of nine legislators who said he will voluntarily forego five days pay.
“I just thought that’s the highest number of days state employees are being asked to do so I thought it was appropriate for me to do the same,” said Stein, who represents Owings Mills, Pikesville and part of Timonium.
Stein is sending his money back to the state where it will be placed in the general fund and used to offset the projected budget shortfall.
Del. Adrienne Jones, an 11th District Democrat and member of the House Appropriations Committee, said she disagreed with using the money for charitable donations.
“As a budget person, I’m thinking about the general fund,” said Jones, who represents Reisterstown, Woodlawn and part of Catonsville. “It defeats the purpose (of offsetting budget shortfalls) to give the money to charity.”
Several legislators said privately that not participating in the furloughs would likely anger constituents. This, after Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon announced Dec. 10 that she would not volunteer to forgo a 2.5 percent pay raise. A day later, she said she would donate that raise to charity after becoming the target of angry calls to radio stations and the offices of City Council members.
The remaining 11 county legislators, one senator and seven delegates, were not immediately available or did not return calls seeking comment.
Bryan P. Sears is political editor for Patuxent Publishing Co.’s Baltimore County newspapers.
Last week, House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller asked that legislators voluntarily donate up to five days of their salaries, after taxes, to the state general fund to offset the shortfall in tax collection.
Two-thirds of the county’s 29 senators and delegates responded when they were informally polled as to whether they would participate in the voluntary furloughs.
All 20 legislators who responded said they would take furloughs along with 67,000 state workers ordered earlier this month by Gov. Martin O’Malley to take two to five days off without pay to offset a $400 million budget shortfall projected for this year.
Lawmakers are not required to follow O’Malley’s order. Under the Maryland Constitution, they cannot be forced to take a pay cut once their term begins. But Miller wrote in a letter to state senators that he thought taking the furlough was appropriate.
“Given the severity of these economic times, I strongly believe it is both appropriate and fair for members of the General Assembly to accept a furlough consistent with the rest of state government,” Miller wrote.
While some lawmakers said they would agree to the furlough, opinions differed as to where the saved salary should go.
“The last people I trust to spend my money wisely is the Maryland state government,” said Sen. Andy Harris, a Republican who represents Cockeysville, Middle River and part of Perry Hall.
Harris said he’ll be donating “four or five days pay” to charity. He said he would decide on the charity in the next few weeks.
Harris and a small number of other Republican legislators, including Dels. William Frank and Pat McDonough, are giving part of their salary to charity.
Frank, who represents Towson, Timonium and part of Pikesville, said he was donating $850, approximately five days’ pay, before taxes. The money will be split equally between the Maryland Food Bank, Baltimore Reads and Associated Catholic Charities.
“Private groups can more efficiently meet human needs and do it better than state government,” Frank said.
The number of furlough days is based on salary level. Employees who make less than $40,000 will give up two days pay. Those making $40,000 to $59,999 will lose four days pay. Those making $60,000 or more will lose five days.
State delegates and senators earn $43,500 annually. The Department of Legislative Services estimates that one day of pay equals $120.84, or $604.20 for five days.
Del. Dana Stein, an 11th District Democrat, is one of nine legislators who said he will voluntarily forego five days pay.
“I just thought that’s the highest number of days state employees are being asked to do so I thought it was appropriate for me to do the same,” said Stein, who represents Owings Mills, Pikesville and part of Timonium.
Stein is sending his money back to the state where it will be placed in the general fund and used to offset the projected budget shortfall.
Del. Adrienne Jones, an 11th District Democrat and member of the House Appropriations Committee, said she disagreed with using the money for charitable donations.
“As a budget person, I’m thinking about the general fund,” said Jones, who represents Reisterstown, Woodlawn and part of Catonsville. “It defeats the purpose (of offsetting budget shortfalls) to give the money to charity.”
Several legislators said privately that not participating in the furloughs would likely anger constituents. This, after Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon announced Dec. 10 that she would not volunteer to forgo a 2.5 percent pay raise. A day later, she said she would donate that raise to charity after becoming the target of angry calls to radio stations and the offices of City Council members.
The remaining 11 county legislators, one senator and seven delegates, were not immediately available or did not return calls seeking comment.
Bryan P. Sears is political editor for Patuxent Publishing Co.’s Baltimore County newspapers.
user comments (2)
user davidmarks1 says...
Delegate Adrienne Jones is a top lieutenant of the majority in the House of Delegates that helped produced this budget mess and the deficits earlier this decade. And as co-chair of the Special Committee on Employee Rights and Protections, the panel that burned through hundreds of thousands of dollars "investigating" the former Republican governor, she knows a thing or two about wasting taxpayer money.
Posted 3:04 PM, 12.27.08
user stevetowson says...
It's amazing that Marylanders keep voting for more of the same, and complain year after year when they get it. Even with his hands tied by the General ASSembly Bob Ehrlich was more effective than the current governor who gets everything he wants rubber stamped by the same General ASSembly.
Posted 9:48 AM, 12.29.08
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