Harford County Council Overrides Veto, Giving Incoming Exec 44% Salary Bump

The Harford County Council will give the county executive a raise, even though County Executive David Craig vetoed the measure and said it would come at the expense of county employee bonuses.

On Thursday, the council voted 5-1, in a meeting that lasted less than five minutes, to override the executive’s veto and pass legislationincreasing the county executive’s base salary from $90,000 to $130,000, according to The Aegis, which reported Councilman Richard Slutzky was the only member to vote against the measure.

The council passed the bill in early September, and Craig—whose time in office ends this winter, as he is term-limited—vetoed it on Tuesday, issuing a statement including the following excerpt:

“As the current county executive, my largest regret has been that the economy made it difficult to provide pay raises....Bill 14-27...gives the next county executive a significant pay raise and...will cost county taxpayers $100,000. This equals the amount saved by cutting the bonus for some 160 employees...the County Council, which now wants to give the county executive the highest salary, $130,000, amended the bonus legislation and cut the bonus in half for the employees...If the council chooses to override this executive veto, I feel that the next county executive should remit the increase or the next council should repeal the legislation if they truly value the work of the employees. Therefore, I VETO Bill 14-27.”

Council President Billy Boniface and Councilmember Mary Ann Lisanti introduced the legislation requesting the salary increase in August. At first, they called for salary increases for both the county executive and council members. After reportedly not having votes to pass an increase for the council, Boniface and Lisanti withdrew that bill but kept the one providing more pay for the executive.

Boniface prefaced a public hearing on the matter—where 20 people reportedly testified against the raise—by stating that the last time the county executive received a salary increase was in 1999. The executive has received cost-of-living increases annually.

Photo: Harford County Government.

Related:

• Harford Council Approves Pay Raise for County Executive
• Craig Vetoes Salary Increase, Says ‘Biggest Regret’ Was ‘Economy Made It Difficult To Provide Pay Raises’