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County staff outline proposed pay adjustments, small health premium increase and use of 'Time to Care' funds for internships
Summary
HR presented a compensation package that separates market/merit adjustments from a 1% cost‑of‑living adjustment; a health premium renewal of 0.5% was reported and staff proposed using paused Time to Care Act funds to support internship programs if the state extends implementation dates.
St. Mary’s County HR director Katherine Pratzen detailed proposed compensation changes and benefit outcomes for the coming year, separating market/merit adjustments from a 1% cost‑of‑living adjustment.
Pratzen told commissioners that the "market adjustment is for merit employees" and that the cost‑of‑living adjustment would apply to all pay scales, including merit employees, sworn staff, corrections, the state’s attorney and contract employees. She said the merit increases are tied to performance evaluations and would be awarded on employees’ anniversaries if evaluations are satisfactory.
On benefits, Pratzen reported a favorable health‑insurance renewal: the county’s renewal is about 0.5%, which staff estimated as roughly a $100,000 employer increase to the county health‑insurance budget and noted that the cost would be covered from a premium rebate account rather than the operational budget. The county also continues a $100 credit for employees who waive coverage (about 60 employees) and an identity‑protection benefit funded from the rebate account (about $52,000 annually).
Time to Care Act funding: Pratzen described a $300,000 appropriation in HR’s budget originally intended as a placeholder for a state‑mandated paid family and medical leave program. Because the state has delayed enforcement to July 2026 and may extend again to January 2028, HR proposed using the unspent portion to expand paid internships countywide. "Last year the commissioners approved a hundred thousand. ... This year, we housed an intern in the public information office," Pratzen said, and HR wants to grow the internship program with the budgeted funds if the state continues to postpone the law’s effective date.
Commissioners asked whether the 1% COLA applied to sworn employees; Pratzen said a more detailed conversation and presentation from HR would follow in the meeting to clarify who is covered by which elements of the package. Several commissioners asked staff to revisit assumptions (for example, healthcare call‑account funding rates) and to continue providing cost‑detail breakdowns before final approval.
Ending: HR will bring back more detailed cost and distribution information about the compensation package, impacts on sworn vs. merit staff, and options for internship funding depending on final state action on the Time to Care Act.
