Salaries

Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer's effort to boost future mayors' and aldermen's salaries was roundly defeated after city officials realized that it would actually cut council members' pay -- and was illegal. Council members unanimously rejected Monday night a 3 percent cost of living adjustment in their paychecks, after realizing they would have to take a pay cut first. The bill would have also applied to themselves retroactively to July 1, though state law allows the council to change the salaries only of their successors.

Organizers of the Baltimore Grand Prix have sought to raise an additional $1.5 million from investors to pay bills including salaries, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing shows that Baltimore Racing Development LLC hopes to raise the money from existing investors. Already, $423,000 has been raised from more than 20 investors who wanted to "step up their interest or to protect their interest," said Jay Davidson, the company president and chief executive, in an interview.

Correctional officers at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center voted yesterday to accept a one-year labor agreement that gives them at least a 5 percent pay raise effective July 1. The vote was 89-7, said Clifford Thrasher, president of Local 2911 of the Communication Workers of America, which represents the county's 220 correctional officers. "We've had people here for 10 years, and this is the highest raise they've [ever] received," said Thrasher, adding that the pay increase will allow the Detention Center to keep more of its employees.

IF CARROLL COUNTY'S commissioners are so underpaid, why do so many people contend for their jobs at each election? And why do the same people eagerly fight for re-election to such an undervalued political position? They're natural questions, given the move by the county's legislative delegation, conservative Republicans all, to jack up the salaries of the three commissioners by 38 percent, to $45,000 a year. That may not seem exorbitant compensation for the triumvirate that acts as executive, council and administrator of a metropolitan county with more than 150,000 population.

Looking for a place to stretch your hard-earned dollar a little further? Baltimore may be the place. The city was named one of the top five metropolitan areas for stretching salaries the furthest, according to a May study. Salary.com, which conducted the study, ranked Baltimore third, behind New London, Conn. and Huntsville, Ala., among American cities where salaries measure up well against cost of living. At the bottom of the list - places where the average wage struggles against the cost of living - were New York, San Francisco and San Diego.

The draft Columbia Association budget for the fiscal year beginning in May sets aside $85,000 for a compensation study to determine whether CA employees are fairly paid. But members of the association's board of directors have balked at that number. "If it's $85,000 to do a salary survey, I just choked on that," board Chairman Miles Coffman said. Noting that a thorough salary study was conducted four years ago, the board has decided to reduce the price and scale of the proposed study.

All of the unions representing Anne Arundel County's school employees could have multiyear agreements with the district in the future. The Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County and school system negotiators promised to pursue a long-range plan to make salaries competitive with those of neighboring school systems. The unions representing secretaries and teachers' assistants want a multiyear contract, and food service, maintenance and transportation workers have a tentative three-year deal that would become effective over the summer, officials for those groups said.

A sweeping overhaul of Howard County's personnel system could mean raises -- or at least bigger paychecks down the road -- for the county's top administrators, including those crafting the plan.A chart of estimated salaries recently released to the County Council shows the top base salary as $123,323, with a possible performance bonus of $8,491. That totals $131,814 -- nearly 25 percent more than the current top salary.The salaries, still just estimates, would be higher than those paid to Howard officials' counterparts in the Baltimore area, but on a par with salaries in Maryland counties near Washington.

The salaries for elected officials in Baltimore County would jump 20 percent after next year's election, under a proposal submitted to the County Council. The suggested raises, which are tacked on to a lengthy bill introduced this week, would increase the salary of the county executive from $125,000 to $150,000, beginning in December 2006. County Council members' pay would go from $45,000 to $54,000 - with the chairman's salary increasing from $50,000 to $60,000. Council members likely will vote on the proposal the same day they are set to approve next year's budget - May 26. Baltimore County "is a great place to live," said William Flattery, who chairs the personnel advisory board that recommended the salary increases.

Howard County's state legislators are reacting cautiously to the school board's request for a 100 percent pay raise -- agreeing that the board is underpaid, but questioning whether doubling members' salaries from $6,000 to $12,000 is appropriate."