WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Montgomery Council President Mike Knapp said Tuesday that salary increases given to county department heads and other top officials may have “raised the bar” for the Washington area.

Knapp, who is also head of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, said colleagues in the regional leadership organization have mentioned to him that they believe salary increases given by County Executive Ike Leggett to his top staff members when he took office in 2007 could set new pay thresholds for local government positions.

“We have become an example of interesting management pay increases,” Knapp said. “There are a number of directors and chief administrative officers that were very excited at the salary increases our folks have received and said they were going to pursue similar increases. I didn’t realize we were the model for that.”

Leggett’s spokesman Patrick Lacefield did not immediately return requests for how Leggett amended salaries of top management positions when he took office in 2007.

Council Vice President Phil Andrews has been a vocal critic of labor contracts that promise cost-of-living adjustments and salary step increases that total about 8 percent a year for county government employees.

Andrews opposes raising the property tax rate beyond the rate of inflation unless the council agrees to address what he sees as excessive promises to labor unions. Leggett has proposed an 8.3 percent increase in the property tax rate as part of his budget plan.

“It is not tenable to ask taxpayers to pay higher prop taxes to fully fund pay increases that average 8 percent,” Andrews told The Examiner. “I want the council to address what I see as unaffordable and unsustainable increases in compensation before we raise property taxes. This is a lot to ask of taxpayers when hardly anybody else is seeing that kind of pay increase.”

Other council members also opposed to increasing property taxes have eyeballed labor costs in the county. Council Member Nancy Floreen said the county has an obligation to uphold the agreements it has signed, but she wondered whether it was necessary to maintain the current number of jobs. Data from council leaders say the county has added 15 percent more positions, or 1,300 jobs, in the past five years, while population has increased by only 4 percent.

“Is there a way to provide the same services with fewer individuals?” Floreen asked The Examiner. “Should we retain a hiring freeze, things of that nature cross my mind.”

kmiller@dcexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

5:26 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 31, 2008 re: "Shift in panel worries some growth activists"

Robin Ficker Broker Robin Realty said:
Help is on the way. Mark Fennel, a slow growth candidate, is running in the special election of April 15 and May 13. And, unlike Don Praisner, Mark Fennel is opposed to the largest property tax n 20 years which has been proposed by the County Executive. Mark Fennel is opposed to exceeding the charter property tax limit. Don Praisner said at the Peoples Community Church on Saturday that he would vote to exceed the charter property tax limit.

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7:09 AM MST on Sat., Feb. 23, 2008 re: "Montgomery panel ducks �green� bills"

Mark D. Fennel, County Council Candidate said:
According to this article, Berliner who proposed this package of seven bills in November, said constituent concerns were causing the council to be more, "reflective and responsive" about measures which impose a financial burden. More likely, it's the advent of a special election and my entry into the race. Because Berliner and the entire council know very well, that I will shine a White Hot Spotlight on any council action, which contributes to a lack of affordable housing, adds to an already outrageous $400 Million county deficit, or places an undue financial burden on Montgomery's struggling and shrinking Middle Class. Mark D. Fennel, Republican Candidate for County Council in the Special Election

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10:16 AM MST on Wed., Oct. 3, 2007 re: "Council considers nearly $1.5 million more for U.S. 29 sidewalks"

Examiner Reader said:
This is overdue and desperately needed. They need to move ahead with it ASAP.

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8:10 AM MST on Fri., Sep. 21, 2007 re: "Council considers nearly $1.5 million more for U.S. 29 sidewalks"

Grumpy Old Examiner Reader said:
Maybe this will keep those dang Blair students off my lawn!

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