Caroline supervisors decline state-funded 2% bonus program, cite fairness and local cost

Caroline County supervisors voted on June 9 to decline optional state funding tied to a 2% one-time bonus for certain compensation-board-funded constitutional officers.

State legislation offered partial reimbursement for a subset of employees; county staff presented five implementation options ranging from accepting state funding for eligible employees only to providing a uniform 2% bonus to all employees. Finance staff calculated the state reimbursement at about $62,545.86 for the eligible comp-board positions, while supplementing all comp-board employees would cost the county about $99,272.38 in local dollars; offering a 2% one-time bonus countywide would cost roughly $366,833 in local funds.

After discussion about fairness and administrative complexity, Supervisor Underwood moved to decline the state funding (option five) and not participate. Supervisor Black seconded the motion. The board approved the measure by voice vote.

"To make it remotely fair, you can see the numbers ... to be fair in the constitutional officers is another 99,000 for us," Finance Director Charles Cully said while presenting options and cost estimates. Several supervisors said the state approach—partially funding only some employees—would create inequities among workers who perform similar duties but have different funding sources.

Supervisors asked staff to draft a letter to state legislators documenting the county’s concerns about the recurring burden localities face when the state partially funds compensation-related initiatives. No one at the meeting advocated accepting the state's conditional money; the board said that, given recent local pay adjustments earlier in the year, it preferred to decline the optional program.

Vote: Motion by Mr. Underwood; second by Mr. Black; passed by voice vote.