Commission Repeals State Worker's Pension

Md. Ethics Board to Investigate How Register of Wills Got It in the First Place

The five Charles County commissioners voted unanimously yesterday to repeal a decision to grant a state employee a county pension and called on the Maryland State Ethics Commission to investigate how the pension was granted.

The vote eliminates a county retirement salary for Register of Wills Susie C. Bowles (R), who has paid into the state pension plan for more than 10 years. The commissioners then agreed to send a letter to the ethics commission.

Commissioners President Wayne Cooper (D-At Large) said yesterday that an "impartial and independent" state investigation would address concerns raised by the original vote to give Bowles a retirement plan. At her request, the commissioners voted last April to pay Bowles up to $75,000 a year.

The move upset some county employees and other registers of wills across the state, who argued that Bowles was receiving an unfair benefit. In January, the state comptroller's office wrote to Charles's deputy county attorney and the state attorney general, requesting an investigation.

Cooper said he thought the commissioners were misled by Bowles, who briefly appeared before them to request a retirement salary. A video of last year's meeting, which was replayed yesterday, showed Bowles telling the group she did not have a "retirement." She did not mention her payments into the retirement program.

"The statements made by the register of wills clearly left the impression that the register of wills was receiving no compensation for retirement," Cooper said. "At no point did she inform us that she was part of the state's pension plan."

Commissioner Reuben B. Collins II (D-Waldorf) said the review would explain what went wrong. "This is, without a doubt, one of the most difficult decisions I've faced during my time as a county commissioner," Collins said. "The integrity of our office . . . is paramount, and this is appropriate for review."

In a brief speech to the commissioners yesterday, Bowles apologized for "causing confusion" and denied that she had misled them. She said her initial request was for a small amount of county money to supplement her state pension, although the measure passed last year would have granted her as much as 80 percent of her current $93,000 salary.

"At no point did I give testimony to mislead you or lie," Bowles said.

Bowles and County Attorney Roger L. Fink, who recommended that the commissioners pass the measure last year, defended the move by distinguishing between a pension, which employees pay into out of their salaries, and a retirement salary, which does not require employee contributions. However, state officials, including a spokesman for the comptroller's office and the president of the state registers of wills' association, said a state employee should know that she is ineligible for county benefits.