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St. Mary's commissioners authorize public hearing on proposed amendment to sheriff's retirement plan after questions on FTEs and 'double-dip' pay
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners voted to schedule a Sept. 13 public hearing on a proposed 11th amendment to the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office retirement plan after commissioners pressed staff for details about effects on full‑time equivalents and rehiring retired deputies.
The Board of County Commissioners of St. Mary's County on Tuesday voted to schedule a public hearing on Sept. 13 to consider a proposed 11th amendment to the sheriff's office retirement plan that would remove contract deputies from the plan's definition of covered employees.
County staff presented the proposal, saying the change would allow certain contract deputy positions — typically filled by retired officers in specialized roles such as community policing, child‑abuse work and alcohol enforcement — to be excluded from mandatory participation and contribution to the SORT retirement program.
Commissioners repeatedly pressed staff for clarifications about how the amendment might affect county full‑time equivalent (FTE) counts, promotion pathways and the county budget. One commissioner described a potential “revolving door” in which an officer retires, opens an FTE, then returns immediately as a contract deputy, leaving an FTE vacancy in permanent staffing that complicates budget and promotion planning. Commissioners asked that the sheriff attend the public hearing to answer those questions directly.
Staff noted the sheriff's request for the amendment and said the county board of trustees for the sheriffs' retirement plan had voted in favor of recommending the change to remove contractual employees from coverage. Staff also said discussions of a DROP program previously under consideration had been suspended by the trustees.
After questions and requests for more detail on processes for rehiring retirees and the potential fiscal effects, a commissioner moved to authorize the scheduling of the public hearing. The motion passed on a voice vote; commissioners did not take a final vote on the amendment itself during the meeting.
The public hearing will be an opportunity for the sheriff to explain operational and financial impacts and for public comment before the board considers a final vote on the amendment.
