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Delegation approves sheriff salary bill as amended after legal clarifications
Summary
After debate about oath dates and midterm raises, the Frederick County delegation approved an amendment moving the sheriff salary effective date to Jan. 1, 2027, and the adjustment to 2028; the motion passed by roll call.
The Frederick County delegation voted to approve a revision to the sheriff's salary bill that adjusts the effective dates so the new salary begins on Jan. 1, 2027, with a related adjustment set for 2028.
Senator Karen Lewis Young said the only changes were date corrections on the online amendment: strike 2026 and substitute 2027 for the effective date, and strike 2027 and substitute 2028 for the adjustment timeframe. She said no other input had been received.
Delegate Doug Boucher raised a procedural concern: sheriffs are sworn in in December and aligning the salary start with the oath-of-office was the rationale for the initial dates. Committee counsel and members explained that salaries cannot be changed midterm and that setting the effective date at Jan. 1 protects against an inadvertent midterm increase; counsel referenced last year's fiscal note discussing the issue.
The delegation then moved and seconded approval of the bill as amended and conducted a roll-call vote. Recorded votes were: Senator Fulton (Aye); Delegate Boucher (Nay); Delegate Faire (Aye); Delegate Kerr (Aye); Senator Karen Lewis Young (Yes); Delegate Duncan Miller (Aye); Delegate Rose (Yes); Delegate Simpson (Yes); Delegate Chris Tomlinson (Yes); Delegate Valentine (Yes); Delegate Weigel (Yes); Chair (Yes). The chair announced the motion carried.
Senator Young said she would carry the bill in the Senate if members thought that would help and that the county executive will provide a letter of information before hearings rather than a formal letter of support.
