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Howard County commissioners weigh larger pay raises for council members, postpone final vote
Summary
At a public hearing, councilwoman Deb Young and civic leaders urged the Compensation Review Commission to recommend substantially higher salaries — one witness suggested $130,000 — while commissioners debated whether the council should be reclassified as full time and whether to recommend compounded raises of 8% annually; the commission delayed a final vote until December meetings.
Councilwoman Deb Young urged the Howard County Compensation Review Commission to increase its preliminary salary recommendation for county council members, saying the work demands and hours justify a much larger raise for future officeholders.
"This job, realistically, if you were doing it right, requires anywhere from 48 to 65 hours per week," Deb Young said, adding that a base salary of $100,000 to $120,000 would be appropriate. She told the commission she would not personally benefit because she will leave the council in 2026.
Why it matters: Commissioners must balance public expectations, legal limits in the county charter and local budget optics. Several speakers argued that underpaying council members narrows the candidate pool to wealthier residents and those with second incomes.
Public commenters pressed for larger raises. Stu Cohen, who identified himself as president of the Howard County Association, told commissioners the council is "woefully underpaid" relative to peers and senior county staff. Cohen cited comparative figures he said show council members averaged about $81,000 in 2024 while some senior staff earn well over $200,000; he recommended a minimum council salary of $130,000 and estimated the change would not be a large burden on the county budget.
Legal questions raised in testimony complicated the commission's deliberations. Joel Horowitz, an online participant, asked the commission to review whether aspects of the draft recommendations on cost‑of‑living adjustments and benefits could conflict with the Howard County Charter and State Constitution (he cited Article 3 §35 and specific Charter sections), and urged the commission to seek guidance from the county's Office of Law.
Commission members discussed two linked issues: whether the council should be classified as a full‑time office (a change many said would require a charter or legislative process) and what multi‑year pay schedule to recommend if the role remains defined as part time. One commissioner proposed compounding raises of 8% annually over four years — an approach described as a way to narrow the gap with chief‑of‑staff pay — while other members said a more gradual increase may be preferable and emphasized the need for legal review before the commission finalizes any language about benefits or allowable allowances.
A motion to finalize a compensation number at the meeting was proposed but failed to attract a second; commissioners agreed to continue debate and take up a formal recommendation at meetings scheduled for Dec. 3 and Dec. 17. The commission approved the November minutes by voice vote and then adjourned.
What remains: Commissioners left open the exact percentage increase to recommend and asked staff to include findings about whether the role should be reviewed for possible reclassification as full time. The commission also agreed to review submitted materials from public commenters and to request legal guidance on the charter and benefits questions raised during the hearing.
