Compensation Review Begins
Originally Published: June 14, 2024
Commission’s First Meeting Last Week
Every four years, a Compensation Review Commission examines the salaries set by law for County Officials and Board of Education members. Officials are invited to provide their input in person or via written correspondence, if they choose. In the end, a report is produced and sent to the County Commissioners who decide whether to forward the recommendations to the St. Mary’s County Delegation. Then, it is the Delegation’s duty to present the salary adjustments as legislation, which must be approved by the General Assembly. There is no requirement for public input at the local level.
A total of seven members are appointed to serve on the commission: three by the County Commissioners, two by the Delegation, and one each by the Democratic and Republican Central Committees. County Commissioner appointees include John Parlett (R), Brad Knipmeyer (R), and Larry Crabtree (R); Delegation appointees include Tommy McKay (R), and Jeff Buckler (R); the Republican Central Committee appointed Jacinta Bottoms-Spencer; the lone Democrat, Karl Pence, was appointed by the Democratic Central Committee. Six meetings are scheduled this year, however the 2020 Commission finished after just four.
Parlett and McKay were elected as Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively. The 2020 Commission, on which Parlett also served, examined pay parity for positions among Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties. Bottoms-Spencer questioned the value of considering pay rates from other counties. Parity, said Parlett, prevents people from being “disgruntled” about what were, in some cases, significant differences. Cost of living adjustments (COLA) should be the focus for the Commission this year, Parlett offered, because the 2020 Commission’s recommendations have corrected previous disparities.
With the goal of removing political influence, the Sheriff’s salary was tied to the rate for a Lt. Colonel with the Maryland State Police (MSP), and the State’s Attorney salary was tied to the Circuit Court Judge salary. Salaries for the Lt. Colonel and Judge positions are decided at the state level. But McKay had a different opinion, saying it’s not a fair comparison. MSP Lt. Colonel’s are required to be law enforcement, but “the Sheriff could be a civilian” elected by the people. For some positions, McKay said, “there is no real criteria...in terms of competencies,” which is often why “the Chief Administrative Officer” of an organization makes more “than the elected official.” COLAs should be considered for the County Commissioners, Board of Education, and Orphans Court Judges, Parlett stated. McKay didn’t believe “current pay rates are unfair. They attract qualified candidates,” he said.
Researching McKay’s point regarding administrative officer salaries unveiled a startling difference in salaries between elected officials and “administrative officers.” The County Commissioner President* earns $55K/yr, while the other four Commissioners* earn $50K/yr each. The County Administrator, a position hired by the Commissioners, makes over $200K/yr. Responsible for daily oversight of county departments, the County Administrator creates the agenda for Commissioner meetings, makes funding recommendations for the budget, and more. Technically, Commissioners are considered part-time positions, though Commissioners often dedicate extra time to the role. The Board of Education Chairperson earns $11K/yr, while the other four members earn $10K/yr each. The Superintendent, however, earns over $250K/yr. The Superintendent acts as the Executive Officer, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Board of Education, as well as overseeing all school system employees, participates in the budget process, and represents SMCPS across various professional and community activities.
The roughly 76K registered voters in St. Mary’s elect five County Commissioners and five Board of Education members to make high-level decisions (budgets, hiring department directors, creating/approving policy, etc). The day-to-day decisions are, in many cases, not being made by these elected officials. A person’s ethics, judgment, and duty to the voters are, arguably, the most important considerations when casting a vote.
Here is a list of additional elected officials, and their salaries, under the purview of the Compensation Review Commission:
County Treasurer: Current salary is $89K, but will reach $115K by 2026, equal to that of the Register of Wills
Sheriff: $178K current salary
Orphans Court Chief/Associate Judge: $11K/$10K
State’s Attorney: $194K
*County Commissioner President will earn $57K/yr, and all other Commissioners will earn $52K by 2026
