Administrative officer could get raise

CountyExecutive Jim Smith has proposed boosting acting Administrative Officer Fred Homan?s salary from $154,000 to $190,000, making him the county?s second-highest-paid employee. Homan has been serving dual roles as the interim administrative officer and budget and finance director since November, but Smith has nominated Homan?s deputy, Keith Dorsey, to assume the latter position.

Members of the County Council on Tuesday publicly interviewed Homan to determine whether they will approve his first full four-year term as administrative officer, which oversees the county?s day-to-day operations. Council Chair Sam Moxley, D-District 1, asked Homan whether his independent nature would conflict with the administrative officer?s role as liaison to the county administration.

Homan said “no.”

“My role is often facilitator,” he said. “We have a finely ensembled cast of characters and, in a government of this size, there is never one person that gets it done.”

The raise will align Homan?s salary with that of other administrative officers in the region, county spokesman Don Mohler said. Smith thought the administrative officer should make more than the highest-paid department head but did not want to break the $200,000 threshold, Mohler said.

The new salary, if approved by the council, will be second only to Police Chief Jim Johnson?s $195,000 salary, which takes effect in 2008.

Several council watchdogs criticized Homan?s dual role since November as a conflict of interest. The two jobs are designed to check and balance each other, said Steve Whisler, president of the Westview Park Improvement & Civic Association.

2006 Administrative Officer Salaries

» Baltimore City: $405,000 (split between three positions)

» Baltimore County: $154,000

» Carroll County: $113,000

» Harford County: $119,000

» Howard County: $165,000

Sources: local governments

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