Pr. George's council to weigh pay raises

Frustrated members of the Prince George's County Council said Wednesday that they will take a final look next week at a proposed 2 percent pay raise for non-unionized county employees but said that top county officials had not made basic financial data available to help them determine whether the county can afford the increases.

The fiscal policy committee unanimously voted to send the bill, proposed by County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D), to the full council Tuesday. The vote came a day after council members had opened the door to potential salary increases for incoming council members and the county executive, already the highest-paid county government officials in Maryland.

Johnson has supported both salary increases. On Tuesday, the council rejected a bill that would have frozen the pay for council members and the county executive for two years and instead left intact a one-year freeze that will be lifted in December 2011. It would potentially boost pay for council members, who get $96,417 for the part-time positions, and the executive, who receives $174,540.

The action followed a recommendation by a commission that includes close associates of Johnson's.

Several council members have asked for details about county personnel vacancies, the amount of money available to pay for the raises, and a clear accounting of Prince George's overall finances. But in both sessions this week, they received little information from Johnson's budget chief, Jonathan R. Seeman.

The Johnson administration has said it would need about $50 million in the next fiscal year to cover rising expenses in Prince George's $2.6 billion budget, such as health-care and fuel cots. Seaman has said the county might have that amount in unspent funds to help cover the shortfall.

Council member Samuel H. Dean (D-Mitchellville), one of five council members who is leaving office because of term limits, said Wednesday that the dearth of fiscal information from the Johnson administration "is a very bad way for us to end the eight years we have been together."

"I have worked in human resources, and I don't think it takes that much time" to add up the vacancies, he told Seeman.

Seeman, who has promised the information for months, told the council Wednesday that he would get the data to the council before the vote Tuesday.

"I am skeptical," Dean said.

Council member William A. Campos (D-Hyattsville), one of four incumbents running for reelection, said the Johnson administration had put the council in a difficult position. "Do you realize, Mr. Seeman, the disservice you are doing to county employees here?" Campos asked.

"How can we see if we can afford to give a raise to our county employees?" he continued. "This is really sad. We are in our last week; to put this on us with no information and have us make that decision is ridiculous."