BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WBFF) — Baltimore County councilmembers voted to raise council salaries by nearly 74%, triggering debate and questions about government priorities.
The council approved a pay hike on Monday night that will increase members’ annual pay from $69,000 to $119,750, applying to those seated after the November election. The chair’s salary will rise from $77,000 to $129,750. The council will also expand from seven members to nine in December.
Councilmembers Nino Mangione and David Marks were the only two to vote against the increase.
“This is a very serious job. I’ve been on the council for 12 years. I was elected in 2014. And I can tell you, as I’m sitting here, I received one raise of a couple thousand dollars in 12 years and that raise has not, has not kept pace with the employees at work here,” Councilman Julian Jones said during the meeting.
Mangione, who opposed the measure, raised concerns about spending priorities.
“I have other priorities when it comes to spending the taxpayer dollars. I mean, we have police and we have a shortage of police officers, our fire department needs help or volunteer fire departments need more resources,” Mangione said.
In addition to concerns about spending, Mangione also commented on the process.
“I would like to see the people decide whether the politicians can get a pay raise. Setting your own, as you just alluded to, setting your own salary, I think sends a terrible message,” he said.
The council can vote on raises at the end of every term. The last increase, approved in 2022, was for less than $7,000. This time, the raises are drawing criticism from some taxpayer advocates.
David Williams, a taxpayer advocate, challenged the size of the increase.
“The first justification that they need to make is how they calculated this number. To give themselves a 70% increase makes no sense and they have not been forward with the residents of Baltimore County. How was this calculated? Why do they think they deserve this?” Williams said.
The new salaries are lower than what the county’s Personnel Salary Advisory Board recommended. That board suggested council members make $140,000 a year and the chair $150,000.
Still, the county auditor’s analysis shows this pay change will cost an extra $458,750 a year for the nine-member council.
“When you raise salaries, you are not only spending money today, but you’re also spending money a year, five years and 10 years from now. So, this is going to cost taxpayers millions of dollars over the next number of years,” Williams said.
The higher salaries and council expansion will take effect after the November general election.
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