County Personnel

The longer they stay on the force, the less Anne Arundel County police officers make compared with their counterparts in nearby jurisdictions. Although Anne Arundel's starting salary is higher, after five years other counties catch up and surpass its pay. And after 25 years, its officers make an average of 22 percent less than officers elsewhere, according to a union study.The study by Dr. Amy McCarthy, an economist hired by the Fraternal Order of Police, shows that. after 16 years, the salaries of officers in Arundel are $15,457 lower than in Prince George's County.

In moves designed to shrink the county government work force, the Howard County Council approved last night an early-retirement package and started work on a transfer policy that could lead to pay cuts."

Run government like a private business. Make bureaucrats more accountable. Get the most for your tax dollars.You've heard those recent calls from politicians. Listen to Howard County Executive Charles I. Ecker in an interview last month: "There was a time when if you had a government job, you always had one. That's gone right now."He envisions a smaller but more effective county work force. But the history in Howard, as well as other suburban Baltimore-area counties, suggests that one valuable tool -- firings -- is not a viable option.

Several county police officers who thought they would get raises and promotions this year won't because the county personnel board has ruled that the results of the promotion test should be thrown out and a new test given.The board decided that the results of the sergeants test were "tainted" because a lieutenant charged a fee for a preparatory class.The strongly worded decision assailed upper management in the department for allowing Lt. Ronald Bateman, a night shift supervisor in the Eastern District, to give the course.

Howard County Executive Charles I. Ecker hired the Carroll County personnel director yesterday to do a similar job for his county.Jimmie L. Saylor, 41, will begin work as the Howard County personnel administrator Sept. 5 at an annual salary of $69,495. She was one of four people interviewed for the job, which involves overseeing all county personnel activities and advising the executive on personnel policy."Her knowledge of people, her ability to get along with people and her management leadership abilities are what impressed me about her," Mr. Ecker said.

The complaints of three county police officers, who say flawed department testing kept them from being promoted to corporal last month, have prompted a review of the entire testing process.But a county personnel official described the recent promotion test as fair and objective.TC "No one was harmed by the system itself," said William Herndon, assistant personnel administrator. "Those who passed, passed; and those who failed, failed."Police union attorney Tim McCrone said his three clients are seeking an administrative hearing before the county Personnel Board to contest the results.

A controversial plan to save Baltimore County money by changing the way county workers are paid for accident leave has still not been implemented more than a month after an agreement was announced between union leaders and County Executive Roger B. Hayden.County personnel director Richard N. Holloway told the County Council Tuesday that he is to meet with Mr. Hayden Monday to iron out glitches in the plan and may present rule changes to implement it to the county Personnel and Salary Advisory Board at its meeting May 26.Union leaders said they discovered after the compromise was announced March 30 that fire and police officers would lose substantial pay under the plan, which calls for hurt workers to get their normal take-home pay while on accident leave instead of the tax-free, full pay that gave them up to 120 percent of their normal take-home wages.

One day after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge, a key Baltimore County personnel worker was reinstated to her $47,559-a-year job, a decision some county workers find disturbing in light of impending layoffs.Jo Anne Kincer, 35, director of the county's personnel records management section, had been suspended without pay since October, a month after police raided her Parkton home and found 31 marijuana plants growing in a backyard greenhouse and 19 pounds of packaged marijuana worth an estimated $60,000.

Carroll's commissioners said yesterday they do not want county personnel to review sprinkler plans for homes in the City of Westminster because workers do not have time.The city is considering adopting an ordinance that would require sprinklers in new duplexes and single-family homes and in homes that are converted into apartments.City officials asked the commissioners whether county personnel could review the plans to make sure they comply with the ordinance, if it is passed.The city does not employ anyone with the technical knowledge to review the plans.

TC A Howard County Police Department employee was fired last week after a routine audit of the property section uncovered the gradual theft of more than $3,000 in cash.No criminal charges have been filed. Police are continuing their investigation of the theft, in which small amounts were stolen several times during 1989. Records for other years are also being investigated."I am extremely disappointed it happened," said Police Chief James N. Robey. "We are reviewing our entire process down there to assure it won't happen again."