Claiming themselves as Baltimore County?s “final fiscal authority,” lawmakers Thursday wielded unprecedented discretion over government employee benefits in passing a $2.6 billion spending plan.
The final budget includes no new taxes or fees and a 4 percent raise for veteran police officers, who won a benefits bundle in binding arbitration. But members of the County Council rejected several components of the arbitrator?s award ? such as reducing the minimum retirement age and expanding bereavement leave ? saying they are obligated to consider each item individually.
“We are free to exercise our collective judgment,” council Chairman Kevin Kamenetz said. “In doing so, we reaffirm the charter mandate that the County Council serves as the final fiscal authority of this county.”
Police leaders have said the piecemeal approval violates a requirement to accept arbitration awards as a total package. They criticized County Executive Jim Smith for funding the $4 million award in a contingency account, forcing council members to identify equivalent cuts to avoid exceeding a spending cap.
Cole Weston, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said several of the items did not need council approval and said the union was considering legal action against the county.
“We have nothing to lose,” Weston said.
State cuts to the county totaled more than $40 million, and no other employee groups received cost-of-living adjustments. Many teachers criticized schools Superintendent Joe Hairston for not vocally advocating raises.
But Hairston said that his top priority was preserving positions and that he saved 160 “at-risk” jobs from the chopping block.
“We have to work our way through this brief economic situation and prepare for the future,” Hairston said.
Only one councilman, Dundalk Democrat John Olszewski, voted for each item in the police benefits package. Olszewski said he planned to explore legislation that would allow arbitrators to recommend approval of individual items rather than “all or nothing.”
“The police played by the rules, and they were victorious,” he said of the arbitration.
But for now, Olszewski said he was bound by the process.
