Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Glenarden budget talks stall over salary-scale reconciliation and a proposed $275,000 police incentive allotment
Summary
Council members pushed back on staff salary figures in the draft FY27 budget and disagreed over a proposed $275,000 allotment from anticipated camera revenue for a police recruitment incentive; members requested a detailed multi-year salary matrix and deferred further budget action to a follow-up work session.
A prolonged budget debate at the Glenarden City Council’s June 22 meeting centered on two linked issues: a council request to reconcile staff salaries with the city’s adopted pay scale, and a proposal to set aside up to $275,000 in anticipated stop-sign and speed-camera revenue for a police recruitment and retention incentive.
Councilman Herring presented a spreadsheet showing many positions that appeared ‘‘off-scale’’ compared with the 2023 pay plan adopted by ordinance. He said about 20 positions were not on the scale and that some increases ranged into double digits; he asked for a transparent matrix showing each position’s grade, step and salary for 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and the proposed 2027 budget so the council could reconcile promotions, hires and cost-of-living adjustments. Staff and the interim manager said they had moved salaries back to the approved FY24 (2023) pay plan with a one-step across adjustment and that some apparent jumps reflected promotions, new hires or differences between budgeted and actual salary levels.
Separately, Mayor Derek D. Curtis proposed earmarking up to $275,000—drawn from anticipated automated traffic enforcement revenues—to create a police recruitment and retention incentive allotment. He emphasized that the money would be held in the budget and only used if council approved a detailed program. Several council members, including Councilman Harry and Councilwoman Cross, strongly opposed reserving that level of funds without firmer revenue realization or a program approved by the council, arguing capital priorities (including a planned police building) and other obligations should take precedence.
The council agreed to a next step: staff will prepare the multi-year pay-scale matrix by Thursday and hold a virtual work session on the following Monday to review the numbers before any budget adoption. Council did not adopt the proposed incentive allotment; members said they want a detailed program and confirmed that any use of camera revenue is subject to council approval.
What happens next: Staff will deliver a year-by-year salary matrix with notes on promotions and step placements; the council scheduled a virtual follow-up work session to examine the matrix and to determine budget priorities before adopting the FY27 budget.
