County Employees

Former Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold has resurfaced with a critique of his successor, saying her statements about his administration are "disingenuous" and "feckless. " In a letter sent to The Baltimore Sun and other newspapers, Leopold criticized current County Executive Laura Neuman's description of the county as "defined by mediocrity" and "way behind in culture, attitude and investment" because of Leopold's actions. Leopold said in an interview Thursday afternoon that he decided to speak up because he felt Neuman's assertions went too far. "I have no problem with her wanting to stress her goals and accomplishments, but I felt some of her statements were inaccurate," he said.

Former Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold has resurfaced with a critique of his successor, saying her statements about his administration are "disingenuous" and "feckless. " In a letter sent to The Baltimore Sun and other newspapers, Leopold criticized current County Executive Laura Neuman's description of the county as "defined by mediocrity" and "way behind in culture, attitude and investment" because of Leopold's actions. Leopold said in an interview Thursday afternoon that he decided to speak up because he felt Neuman's assertions went too far. "I have no problem with her wanting to stress her goals and accomplishments, but I felt some of her statements were inaccurate," he said.

When he evaluated his retirement options five years ago, Assistant State's Attorney Fred Paone settled on a deal to collect his pension while working as a part-time prosecutor. Now, Anne Arundel County has sent Paone a $115,672.50 bill demanding that he repay retirement benefits and a notice that his future pension checks will be cut as long as he works for the county. An internal audit had revealed that Paone, 61, and three other workers at the Anne Arundel state's attorney's office were illegally collecting full pension payments while working part time.

Anne Arundel County Executive Laura Neuman embraced a message of change in proposing her first county budget Wednesday, describing the $1.3 billion operating budget as an effort to reverse a government that had fallen "way behind in culture, attitude and investment. " Neuman, who was appointed executive by the County Council in February to replace John R. Leopold after he was convicted in January of misconduct in office, told the packed council chamber, "We will not be defined by a past of scandal and mediocrity.

In this winter of budgetary discontent, Carroll officials have been looking for any way to save money.But one method the state is using -- longer workweeks for state workers -- apparently is not a consideration for the county's 823 employees."

Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens announced yesterday that county employees will receive an additional holiday this year - Friday, Dec. 26. "In appreciation of your dedication and professionalism ... I hope that you will enjoy the time with your families and friends this holiday season," she wrote in a message to employees. Some county workers, whose jobs require them to work Dec. 26, will be credited with compensatory time. Last week, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. announced that state workers will also receive the day off.

The county's latest round of budget cuts will "cut deeply into the pockets of county employees" but will have minimal effect on the public, County Executive Charles I. Ecker said yesterday.Most noticeable to the public will be the switch to one-day-a-week trash collection in April -- a move expected to save $200,000 the remainder of this fiscal year and $800,000 the next. Trash is now collected twice a week.Few services will be reduced as a result of an unpaid five-day furlough for all employees including himself, Ecker said, because threeof the furlough days would come on holidays -- Dec. 25, Jan. 1 and Jan. 15 -- when county government would be shut down anyway, except for essential services.

Carroll County workers will get another chance to fill 16 spaces in the day care center their employer provides, before the county opens the slots to other parents.County commissioners voted yesterday to send a letter to all department heads to alert employees that the center has 16 vacancies.If any more county employees want to enroll their children in the center, they must sign up by mid-August. After that point, any vacancies will be offered to employees at the Carroll County Health Department, Carroll County Public Library and the Agricultural Center.

Anne Arundel County employees, who will not receive a raise for the third consecutive year, are earning less than they did 10 years ago.But not by much.Excluding schoolteachers, county employees have received raises averaging 3.3 percent over the last 10 years. Inflation, meanwhile, has driven up the cost of living an average of 3.4 percent each year. That means Anne Arundel workers have failed to keep pace with rising prices."It's something that has to be examined," said Councilman William C. Mulford II, an Annapolis Republican.

County Executive Robert R. Neall is offering the county's 4,000 employees a 2 percent pay raise, their first increase in 2 1/2 years, as part of a package being negotiated this week that includes modified health insurance coverage.The pay increase will cover only six months, taking effect Jan. 1 and running until the end of the fiscal year on June 30. It is expected to cost the county $4.5 million, $1.8 million for general county employees and $2.7 million for school system workers, bTC said Louise Hayman, a spokeswoman for Mr. Neall.

A federal judge ruled Monday that claims by two former Anne Arundel County employees, who allege they lost their jobs because of retaliation by the administration of former County Executive John R. Leopold, can advance to trial. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake threw out some parts of the lawsuits by Karla Hamner, a former spokeswoman for Leopold, and Joan Harris, who worked as a constituent services specialist during the executive's first term. But the judge "kept the crux of both of the cases" said John Singleton, an attorney representing both plaintiffs.

Marylee Gorman, of Harford County Government's Department of Procurement, has been chosen for the Green Star Award for the third quarter for organizing a Green Expo for county employees. As a kick off to the county's new recycled product policy, Gorman organized a Green Products Expo with Staples. The Expo highlighted several vendors that offer green office supplies such as white out, sticky tabs, refillable dry erase markers, recycled file folders and calculators. County employees enjoyed playing fun games while learning about the recycled product options available from Staples.

Anne Arundel County Executive Laura Neuman on Tuesday named a former colleague to replace the county's information and technology chief. Rick Durkee of Davidsonville, an IT contractor with NASA —who was chief operating officer of Matrics Inc., a developer of microelectronic devices, when Neuman was its CEO — is expected to direct the technological modernization of the county government. Under Neuman's helm, Matrics was turned around from near-insolvency and was sold for $230 million in 2004.

Ignoring pleas from union leaders and the county's Annapolis delegation, the Baltimore County Council approved a bill Tuesday changing how county employees can appeal decisions about retirement benefits. The council voted 6-1 in favor of the bill, proposed by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. Councilwoman Vicki Almond, a Reisterstown Democrat, was the only member of the council to oppose it, saying it will put county employees "through unnecessary hardship, both economically and procedurally.

Wayne Holtschneider, an accountant with the Department of Treasury for Harford County, has been named Employee of the Month for December 2012. Holtschneider is a five-year employee with Harford County government. Deputy County Treasurer Rick Pernas nominated Holtschneider for the prestigious award. In his nomination, Pernas stated: "During the spring of 2012 Mr. Holtschneider was contacted by a company that wanted to refinance conduit debt that involved Harford County. The company needed a signed release from the Department of Treasury in order to be able to refinance the debt.

When Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold returned his automatic pay raise in solidarity with county workers, he also entitled himself to an income tax deduction. Leopold says he declined it. Because the returns technically amount to a donation to Anne Arundel County government, they could have entitled him to a bigger refund on his taxes. But that extra money would also have meant breaking a promise not to take a raise if the government could not afford one for county workers.

Anne Arundel County Executive Robert R. Neall unveiled a $634 million spending plan today that he says does what he was elected to do -- slash the size of government.But Mr. Neall's plan carries a price -- the jobs of 88 county workers.A variety of employees, from file clerks to the county archaeologist to the county undersheriff, would be out of work July 1, when their positions are abolished.County employees in departments targeted for layoffs said last night they had yet to be notified of the terminations.

It takes wisdom to admit decisions are not all correct.On May 10, the county commissioners announced their reorganization plan.Commissioner Elmer C. Lippy stated in the press release of that date: "We have been working on this reorganization plan for some time."Considering that the commissioners went into office in December 1990, and the announced change was five months later, not too much time and thought went into this plan.Likewise, I do not recall thisreorganization plan being a campaign issue last summer or fall.

In the wake of a court ruling requiring it, Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold wants to give $1.6 million worth of raises to police officers and other county employees. Legislation introduced Monday would fulfill the contract an arbitrator recommended this spring for 3 percent raises for the more than 550 officers who belong to the Fraternal Order of Police. Another union with about 1,000 employees had what officials described as a "me-too" clause entitling its members to raises if another bargaining unit received them.

Tensions between Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold and the school system over funding have been well documented, but Leopold's recent comments at a meeting with residents appear to have further strained the already contentious relationship. Leopold met with residents of the Green Haven community in Pasadena after two teens were charged in the fatal shooting Oct. 13 of a 21-year-old man outside a house party in the area. According to Patch.com, Leopold spoke about increasing police presence in Green Haven as well as other parts of the county.