They will take affect next year when the new County Executive & Council take office.
Frederick, Md (KM) Frederick County’s Executive will be getting a payraise. The County Council on Tuesday approved a resolution increasing the County Executive’s salary from $95,000 annually to $137,000.
Councilman Steve McKay voted in opposition. He said this is not the time to raise salaries following what the county has gone through due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “All those people who reached out to us, who for month upon month upon month were trying and failing to get their unemployment benefits while they were out of work; to businesses that couldn’t open their doors; with owners struggling to pay their mortgages,”: he said.
Councilman Jerry Donald made the motion to increase the County Executive’s salary. “This job, in my opinion, should be paid higher. But we could only do what the good people who worked very hard on this commission put forward to us. And I don’t see any reason to reduce it at all,:” he said.
The salary recommendations come from the Compensation Review Commission which tried to bring up salaries for elected officials to align with what counties of similar size pay their elected officials.
“This is a 24/7 job that does not stop,” said Council President MC Keegan-Ayer who supported the salary increase. “It doesn’t take a holiday. It doesn’t get weekends off.”
The vote in favor of increasing the County Executive’s salary was 6-1 with Councilman McKay in opposition.
The Council also approved a resolution giving Councilmembers a raise in pay from $22,500 annually to $35,000. Once again, Councilman McKay voted “no,” calling the 56% increase for a part time Councilmember “obscene” and “ridiculous.” “Two-and–a-half years ago, everyone of us didn’t blanch at that time. And the situation hasn’t changed that much,” he said.
Councilman Donald expressed his support for the increase. “It’s for the next Council,” he said. “Those of us who vote for this bear the burden of voting for it without possibly receiving any benefit at all. And those who don’t vote for it will receive it one way or the other.”
“Nobody’s going to be getting rich off $35,000 up here,”; said Councilman Phil Dacey, who supported the increase. “It just something that kind of substitutes for time with your family, or time you could be using making money elsewhere.”
The vote was 4-3 with Councilmembers Steve McKay, Michael Blue and MC Keegan-Ayer in opposition.
The payraises take affect the first week of December, 2022, when a new County Executive and County Council take office.
By Kevin McManus