Baltimore County Council passes precedent-setting $2.6B budget

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.