Howard County compensation review commission outlines mandate, schedules meetings and hears open‑meetings guidance

The Howard County Compensation Review Commission met in a hybrid virtual session to review its statutory duties, hear legal guidance on open‑meetings and public‑records requirements, and set a meeting schedule and work plan to produce recommendations on next county leaders’ pay.

The commission’s charge is to recommend compensation and allowances for the county council and the county executive for the term beginning in December 2026, and its report is due to the County Council by Dec. 21, county staff said. ‘‘You can choose to increase their salaries. You can choose to decrease their salaries,’’ Owen Khan, council staff, told commissioners, adding that staff will assist their research and logistics.

The discussion laid out why the commission’s work matters: its recommendations will be translated into legislation by the County Council; the council may decrease council salaries but may not increase them, while the council may either increase or decrease the executive’s salary. The commission must also hold at least one public hearing as part of its deliberations.

Amanda Myhill of the Office of Law briefed…