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Orphans' Court judges ask Wicomico Council for pay increase; council agrees to support $16,000 with staff recommendation
Summary
Orphans' Court judges told the council their workload has become nearly full-time and requested a raise to $20,800; after discussion of staff support, county comparisons and optics, the council reached consensus to support an increase to $16,000 and urged judges to secure staff to reduce workload.
Judges of the Wicomico County Orphans' Court asked the County Council on Feb. 3 for a substantial salary increase, arguing that the role has become nearly a full-time responsibility.
Chief Judge Melissa Bright and colleagues said the job "has changed incredibly even in the last 4 years" and that the three judges routinely stay late and perform extensive legal research and continuing education. Bright said their internal calculation equates to "just a shade over $20 an hour," and presented historical comparisons showing infrequent past raises. Councilmembers pressed for context, noting other counties pay significantly less; one councilmember said a jump to $20,800 would place the county among the higher-paid jurisdictions in Maryland. Judges replied that comparisons do not reflect differences in case mix, number of pro se litigants and absence of staff support.
Council discussion focused on balancing recruitment and retention with optics for county employees and taxpayers. Several councilmembers encouraged the judges to hire staff to reduce workload; judges said they had requested part-time staff through HR and were pursuing interns and applicants. After debate, the council expressed a consensus to support a $16,000 annual salary (moving from about $11,600 currently), with the recommendation that judges secure staff and revisit compensation in future budget cycles.
The council asked staff to convey a letter of support to the county's state legislative delegation to advance a local bill addressing Orphans' Court compensation. The item concludes with an agreement to revisit staffing and compensation discussions in subsequent meetings.
