Howard County compensation review commission requests cost, benefits data as council pay debate continues

The Howard County Compensation Review Commission on Oct. 22 agreed to request four years of cost-of-living projections and a detailed breakdown of benefit costs, including any post-term eligibility, to guide recommendations for county council and county executive compensation.

The commission also approved the minutes from its Oct. 15 meeting by voice vote and concluded the meeting after assigning staff to collect the finance data and related pay-plan information. ‘‘The cost of living increase for county employees that takes effect Jan. 1 is 2%,’’ said Owen (staff member, S4), who agreed to consolidate the requested materials and send them to commissioners by Wednesday. The commission recorded no opposition or abstentions to the minutes approval.

Why it matters: Commissioners said they want a ‘‘fully loaded’’ view of compensation — salary plus benefits — to understand the budgetary impact of any change. Chair (speaker S1) told the panel that the recommendation must be sustainable and grounded in the Office of Finance’s revenue estimates, noting large county obligations such as bridge replacements and demographic shifts that affect the fiscal picture.

Discussion and disagreement: Commissioner Pravin (S3) summarized comparable data circulated before the meeting, saying council and county executive pay have averaged about 2.5% annual increases over the past decade and that council pay per constituent ranks ‘‘in the top 20 percentile’’ statewide. Pravin argued the current $80,000 base for council members understates the work required and said he would prefer a figure ‘‘much higher’’ — mentioning informal targets ‘‘130, 140’’ — to enable council members to maintain the county’s average standard of living. Other commissioners cautioned that council positions are designated part-time under the charter (roughly 10 months of the year) and emphasized the need to weigh staff support levels, benefits value and budget constraints before recommending large base increases.

Data requested: Commissioners agreed Owen should ask Finance for: four-year cost-of-living estimates and cost-of-living adjustment scenarios; a ‘‘fully loaded’’ calculation showing salary plus benefits and the long-term cost of any post-term benefits; the Howard County pay plan (grades/steps) and examples of reasonable benchmarks, including state legislative comparators and county director-level grades where useful.

Next steps: The commission expects consolidated finance materials in advance of its next meeting so members can draft a recommendation for public release and discuss it at a scheduled public hearing. Owen confirmed he would attempt to deliver the materials by Wednesday to give commissioners time to review them.

Procedural notes: The panel approved the Oct. 15 minutes on a voice vote (moved by Pravin; second noted for Ginny Gick). With no further substantive business, the commission voted to adjourn. Owen was thanked for compiling the materials.

The commission’s next meeting will include a longer session to craft a rough draft recommendation for the public hearing and to reconcile potential benchmarks against the Office of Finance revenue projections and the Howard County Charter provisions cited during the meeting.