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Labor relations office seeks software, bargaining consultant funding; committee advances budget
Summary
The Office of Labor Relations asked for $33,300 for case‑management software and $29,910 for collective bargaining consultant contract escalation in the County Executive's FY26 recommendation. The Government Operations Committee recommended the executive's budget and requested additional details on repurposed positions and consultant costs.
The Montgomery County Office of Labor Relations (OLR) presented its FY26 budget request to the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee, which recommended the County Executive’s proposed budget for the office. The executive’s recommended FY26 budget for OLR includes an increase of $309,000, of which $33,300 would buy a labor and employee relations case management software solution and $29,910 would cover an increase in collective bargaining consultant costs.
OLR staff told the committee the office currently uses an in‑house grievance tracker and two separate systems that create data accuracy and workload problems. “OLR wishes to procure a comprehensive labor and employee relations case management software solution,” staff said, describing the $33,300 as the first‑year cost that includes one‑time installation, configuration and training; out‑year operating costs are estimated at $23,400.
On consultant services, the staff packet says the new consultant contract went into effect April 4, 2025, after a competitive bid process. OLR Deputy Director James Donaldson and labor manager George Lacey explained consultants provide data analysis, modeling and costing that the department relies on for term and off‑cycle bargaining. The collective bargaining consultant line covers hourly work on comparables, proposal costing and scenario modeling.
Council members pressed for more information about a $179,850 “other” personnel category tied to repurposed positions, asking for a breakdown of where repurposed positions came from, differences in grade levels, and actuals versus budgeted costs. OLR and Office of Management and Budget staff explained the figure includes restored lapse funding and reclassifications that occurred after the County Executive’s recommended budget was prepared; the department said it will provide details on repurposed positions and the lapse (restoration) amount.
Council members also asked for the total value and rates in the consultant contract and for historical actuals on consultant spending to compare with the FY26 request. OLR staff said the contract is hourly, with different consultant levels, and that planned bargaining in the fall (multiple units) increases expected workload and associated consultant hours.
The committee recommended forwarding the County Executive’s FY26 OLR budget to the full council and requested the requested follow‑up documents, including a detailed accounting of repurposed positions and multi‑year consultant actuals.
