Bonuses

Three of five unions representing Harford County schools employees have agreed to a contract change that would allow for the $1,250 bonuses proposed by County Executive Daniel R. Craig earlier this month. Craig presented legislation to the County Council to approve, giving all county employees a check for $625 in December and a second check the last week of June. The County Council will hear public testimony and is expected to make a decision Dec. 6. The Board of Education has to change existing contracts with five employee unions to distribute the bonuses, if the council approves the measure.

Harford County Executive David R. Craig announced Thursday that officials had amassed a $32 million surplus, allowing him to buck a string of budget cuts in neighboring jurisdictions and recommend giving all county employees $1,250 bonuses. The gesture toward 7,000 teachers, sheriff deputies and all other county workers is in sharp contrast with other counties and Baltimore City, where services are being curtailed amid tough economic times. Craig attributed the budget surplus to careful fiscal management and an increase of income tax receipts from job growth in the county because of military base relocations and new businesses.

I'm wearing my Watchdog hat while I explain this bonus Consumer Website of the Week: Baltimore's new 311 app and website. If you've got an iPhone or an Android handset, you can download the free Baltimore 311 app . Use it to report problems such as potholes, street lights that are dark or malfunctioning traffic signals, or check on service requests that you've already submitted. The app allows people to submit photographs of the problems along with the descriptions, which is really powerful --- inspectors might be able to make some judgments about the issue and send the appropriate equipment as a result.

In its coverage of the reactions to the negotiated changes to the state's pension plans ("State workers decry new pension plan", April 6), the changes described the financial help given to state employees due to the increase from 5 to 7 percent in their withholdings for pension contributions. Not mentioned in this increase is that deductions are pretax and part of the increased withholding will be offset by a reduction of payroll withholding taxes to this increase. But we also read that employees will be receiving a $750 bonus to help "smooth the transition" to the new plan.

Baltimore Teachers Union and school system leaders have officially signed the recently ratified teachers union contract, kicking into high gear months of planning and implementation of the landmark pact. The signing came after the city school board voted to unanimously in a special meeting Wednesday night to approve the contract, which overhauls the way teachers are compensated and promoted in the district. School and union officials will begin meeting immediately to appoint committees that will oversee the implementation of the contract, and plan to announce those appointments in January.

Maryland and most other states outlaw "pay for performance" for political lobbyists for a very good reason. Experience has shown, going back to an 1853 case involving a Baltimore & Ohio Railroad lobbyist and the Virginia Legislature, that rewarding business agents for achieving short-term goals induces them to break the rules. It's OK for lobbyists to earn a salary, courts have found. But paying them bonuses for legislative approval of specific bills — "success fees," they're called — creates temptations for corner-cutting and sleaze that even the pols in Annapolis found extreme.

Twelve days ago MI Developments Inc. revealed a $5.5 million bonus program for the Grade I Preakness at Pimlico Race Course. Tuesday, the company announced a similar, $2.2 million bonus for the Grade II Black-Eyed Susan stakes that has been traditionally run for fillies the Friday before the Preakness. To qualify for the $2.2 million bonus, $2 million of which goes to the owner and $200,000 to the trainer, a filly has to win three designated races at Gulfstream Park (the Forward Gal Stakes, the Davona Dale and the Oaks)

Every spring the morning after the running of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness officials make the rounds of the Churchill Downs barns issuing personal invitations to the owners and trainers of the Derby horses to run in the Preakness Stakes. Then Preakness officials sit back, wait and hope the owners decide to overlook the short two-week gap between the two Triple Crown races and bring their horses to Baltimore instead of sending them to another high-paying race or awaiting the Belmont Stakes, five weeks away.

In a move that was expected to go down to the wire, the Orioles agreed to terms with their first-round pick, high school shortstop Manny Machado, with three minutes to go before baseball's signing deadline of midnight Monday. According to a source, Machado, the third pick overall in June's amateur draft, will receive, pending a physical, a $5.25 million bonus, the second-largest in Orioles history. Catcher Matt Wieters, who, like Machado, is represented by agent Scott Boras, signed for $6 million as the fifth overall pick in 2007.

Legg Mason Inc. shareholders voted Tuesday against two proposals that would have called for deferring executive bonuses and splitting the positions of chairman and chief executive officer, both of which are held by Mark R. Fetting. In 2007, shareholders narrowly approved a similar nonbinding proposal to split the dual role, which was then held by longtime chief Raymond A. "Chip" Mason. The change was not implemented, but the company beefed up the role of its lead independent director to address shareholder concerns.