Allegany County public hearing on Code Home Rule Bill 125 ends with no salary changes

A public hearing on Code Home Rule Bill 1-25 — a review of recommended compensation for elected and appointed officials in Allegany County — drew several residents urging the county to delay any pay increases while the county budget is unsettled. The board took no action, and the salaries set in county law remain in effect.

The hearing began with Attorney Beaman opening the public comment period and summarizing the bill introduced at the commissioners' Jan. 23 meeting. Board of Education member Max Green told commissioners he opposed any increase while the county faces a budget deficit and uncertainty in state funding. "Given the county's current fiscal situation, now is not the time for salary increases," Green said.

Other speakers during public comment echoed that view. Deb Frank, a 44-year resident and former board of education member, said most elected positions are not intended to be full-time jobs and argued the optics of a pay raise would be poor amid potential cuts to services including EMS and libraries.

County counsel clarified an error in the staff report about the board's authority: the commissioners may accept the salary committee's recommendations, decline them, or decrease them, but do not have authority to increase the committee's recommended amounts. With no motion to approve the bill, the board's clerk announced Code Home Rule Bill 1-25 did not pass and the salaries specified in county law (chapter 52, sections 1–6) remain in effect.

No formal vote to adopt higher salaries occurred. Commissioners and staff said they will continue to monitor the county's fiscal condition before taking further action.

Residents and officials present also urged the board to prioritize core services amid budget strain; those concerns were recorded during the hearing.