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County administration seeks emergency appropriations and proposes pay-plan updates
Summary
Office of Human Resources presented three budget items: CB 17-2024 (add $1,000,000 to the risk management self-insurance fund), CB 18-2024 (add $3,000,000 to employee benefits), and CB 26-2024 (updates to multiple pay scales for FY2025); officials cited higher-than-expected claims and negotiated pay-scale changes.
Miss Bennett, representing the Office of Human Resources, presented several items at the Howard County Council public hearing: Council Bill 17-2024 requests a $1,000,000 emergency appropriation to increase FY24 spending authority for the risk management self-insurance fund to cover unanticipated, high-value claims; Council Bill 18-2024 requests a $3,000,000 emergency appropriation to increase FY24 spending authority for employee benefits, citing a higher frequency and value of claims that staff attributed to deferred care following the COVID period; and Council Bill 26-2024 would update pay plans for FY2025 across multiple pay scales.
On CB 17-2024 Miss Bennett said the county experienced a single claim that exceeded the total general liability budget and the requested funds would be covered from the prior-year surplus in the risk management fund. On CB 18-2024 she said the recommendation is based on actuarial analysis and observed higher claims this year. On CB 26-2024 she described updates to 10 of the county's 15 pay scales and noted a forthcoming amendment to cover additional pay plans; changes described ranged from non-represented pay schedules to negotiated schedules for multiple union groups, and the personnel board provided unanimous support for the pay-plan changes.
No formal votes were recorded in the transcript during the hearing; the items will proceed through the council’s legislative process.
