Solomon said he spends the rest of his 50-hour work week at his firm, Marcell Solomon & Associates, where he concentrates on mortgage-backed securities.
"Davey had the same deal for 12 years," Solomon said Thursday. "There was no increase in compensation, no decrease."
Glendening and Davey did not return telephone messages seeking comment on the arrangement. Johnson also was unavailable for comment, Keary said.
Metro's board of directors, created three decades ago, was designed to be filled by volunteers. The document that created the region's public transit system says Metro board members "shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred as an incident to the performance of their duties."
Metro board members hire and fire the transit agency's chief executive, approve Metro's $1 billion operating budget and meet weekly to set policy. Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said the transit system plays no role in how jurisdictions compensate their board members.
Prince George's County Council member Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Bowie), head of the county's budget committee, said he was surprised to learn about the disparities. "I'd like to review the regional information and look at the duties being performed," Peters said.
Council member David Harrington (D-Bladensburg), who chairs the county's transportation committee, said he, too, was unaware of Solomon's compensation and would be interested in learning more about his workload and "what the administration's strategy is on Metro development."
Peters and Harrington said while the council did confirm Solomon's appointment to the Metro board, it has no authority over how much the appointee is paid because compensation comes through a personal services contract.
