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Committee advances amendments to Montgomery County volunteer LOSAP with retroactive 4% increases
Summary
Montgomery County's Public Safety Committee reviewed a bill to apply negotiated 4% Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP) increases for volunteer firefighters (retroactive to 7/1/2024 and effective 7/1/2025) and approved expediting the measure; staff estimated a $110,000 six-year fiscal impact.
The Public Safety Committee of Montgomery County on March 11 reviewed proposed amendments to the county's Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP) that would implement negotiated increases for volunteer fire and rescue members.
Ms. Wellens, county staff leading the presentation, said the bill (Bridal 11 26) implements provisions of a bargained agreement between the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Rescue Association and the county executive that runs from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026. She said the executive requested the legislation on Dec. 9, 2025, to make two 4% increases to LOSAP benefits: one effective July 1, 2024, and a second effective July 1, 2025, and that the bill would apply those increases retroactively.
"These are nominal fees that essentially go to long-serving volunteer fire and rescue individuals as essentially an acknowledgment of their service and to offset some small amount of their expenses," Ms. Wellens said, summarizing the program's purpose and the change under consideration.
Staff presented a fiscal estimate for the changes: about $110,000 over six years, with roughly $25,000 in year one, which includes retroactive payments, and approximately $17,000 per year in ongoing costs. Ms. Wellens directed members to the staff memorandum (staff packet page 2) showing Article 25, paragraph 2 of the agreement as the provision being implemented.
Committee members signaled support for expediting the bill's effective date. The chair said he favored an expedited effective date and recorded a three-zero voice vote approving the expedited timing. Members again indicated assent to advancing the bill by voice and thumbs-up signals, which the chair recorded as a three-zero approval.
Michael Kelly, Division Chief, Montgomery County Fire Rescue Service, Division of Volunteer Services, and Christopher Jenson, representing the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Rescue Association, were present for the panel introductions and were thanked by the chair for their service. The committee adjourned shortly after the votes.
Next steps: the committee advanced the measure with an expedited timing recommendation; the transcript records committee assent but does not show additional committee conditions, a formal roll-call vote listing individual votes, or an implementation timetable beyond the dates in the negotiated agreement.
