Montgomery Council votes itself a pay raise

Montgomery County Council members approved a 6.3 percent raise for themselves on Tuesday ? in an election year and coming after a year with a 4.8 percent growth in regional consumer prices.

The council approved a compensation package for elected officials that increases council members? annual pay from $79,721 to $84,721 this December, and to $89,721 the following year. After that, unless the council votes to revisit the issue, members? salaries would be tied to consumer prices. The council president gets an extra 10 percent.