This webinar is being recorded and summarized.

Good afternoon, everyone.

This is the council's special legislative session in which we will give final consideration to the FY27 executive proposed budget legislation and various other legislation previously introduced and heard.

This legislative session is being conducted as a hybrid meeting, which is available in person and virtual via WebEx.

It is also available to the public through live stream on the Howard County Council website.

And broadcast on channels 44 and 1071.

The council will hold a legislative session on Monday, June 1st at 7 p.m.

in which legislation will be introduced for June, and council will give final consideration for the remaining non-budget legislation introduced on May 4th.

At this time I'm gonna do a roll call for the council members.

Ms.

Rigby.

Here.

Miss Young.

Here.

Miss Walsh.

Here.

Mr.

Youngman here.

And I am Opal Jones.

We will now recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

We will now proceed with our legislative session.

Will the council administrator please read the legislation for final consideration?

The following legislation is introduced by the chairperson at the request of the county executive unless otherwise noted.

Council Bill 26, 2026, collective bargaining agreement, Howard County Police Officers Association Lodge 21.

I move to approve CB 26 2026.

Second.

CB26 has been moved and seconded.

Any discussion?

I have discussions.

Go ahead.

This was the subject of public hearing as recently as Monday night, I think.

And we asked in the portal questions as to a comparison of cost of living adjustments specifically across our nine bargaining units for HCPD, for FOP, for these three specific bargaining units, specific to Howard County Police Department, which historically have enjoyed the benefit of a multi-year agreement.

Also have enjoyed the further benefit of those arguments being reopened and extending additional cost of living adjustments in the terms of original agreements.

The extent to which is not clear for me from the analysis that we've received to date, nor from the face of those bills themselves.

For whatever reason, they're not written consistently and I can't glean the same information without going back historically and pulling old bills where this council has approved them, including me.

But uh related to another fee item that will come up later today, specifically the overtime charges that this county extends exclusively to it's my amphitheater operators of Merriweather Post.

Um those costs have gone up, not surprisingly, because there is a correspondent increase in cost of living adjustments that we seem only to extend law enforcement and particularly only certain units within law enforcement.

So you will see consistently me voting against this series of bills today and and endeavoring still to understand um the extent of the discrepancy uh and and the reasons behind it.

Any further discussion?

Ms.

Rigby.

Um Ms.

Walsh, have you um requested that multi-year analysis yet?

I requested on May 6th.

It's portal question 12165.

Well, I mean more on the because ultimately I think to get to the resolution we're gonna have to go back through and do the comparisons.

And so that I was just asking because when you get it, I think we'd all like to see it.

One two one six five is available to everyone who goes into the portal, and that question asks, can you please provide support that shows salary increases for each bargaining unit over the past 10 years?

We would also like to understand how our pay compares to Pierre Counties.

Um then I so I'll I'll certainly follow up because I think it's important to tease out the colas versus the steps because some bargaining units prioritize steps, some prioritize colas, and um it's really hard to compare those apples to apples.

Um but I I agree it's a worthwhile analysis.

So the regular county employee is getting a two percent increase.

You know, we're gonna approve that later today as a colour.

Um we have heard year after year um what teachers are and aren't getting as part of their negotiated agreement.

This is the first year that we don't have an amendment in at least two where we're asking for them to be extended, the courtesy of a multi year agreement.

versus the steps because some learning units prioritize steps some prioritize colas and um it's really hard to compare those apples to apples um but i i agree it's a worthwhile analysis so the regular county employee is getting a two percent increase where you know we're gonna approve that later today as a colour um we have heard year after year um what teachers are and aren't getting as part of their negotiated agreement this is the first year that we don't have an amendment in at least two where we're asking for them to be extended the courtesy of a multi-year agreement um but no one other than howard county police department and the organized labor that is part of that specific agency has enjoyed four percent colo adjustments consistently and that's the part I can't speak so authoritative authoritatively to because I don't think that I have that analysis notwithstanding the fact that I have requested it request going back to uh Craig Glendenning in the auditor's office like it's not a new concept we approve these yeah these bargaining unit agreements year after year after year and there is no context provided within that same agency or across the various bargaining units that are all seeking theoretically cost of living adjustments that address the same inflationary thing uh that would that would apply across the board um so I think you know I've mentioned it in work sessions it's um to me it is a significant issue and and needs to be paid more closely attention both to this approving body but more importantly to um by our you know our human resources and the administration thank you oh just to clarify one two one six five was provided uh response if there are any follow-up question we'll be happy to address but that response was already when was that provided Dr.

Sun uh do you know it's quite some time ago yeah at least some of the weeks back I have to find that okay all right well I haven't seen it as the question it's a must multi history as uh requested and by a different collective bar all right well good I will um have someone send that to me who knows where to find it okay looking generally around and maybe I will be informed by that analysis as the next two votes come up what's the effect of not passing it as part of this budget it says in our fiscal analysis for some of our fiscal analysis says if we don't pass it then it reverts to the amended or to the agreement that's in place now oh just confirm it's uh it's released on the it was provided on May the 6th that makes sense yeah so the the old agreement it I guess it's the same as if you didn't get to the agreement in time I think that happened one time that you stayed under the old agreement for a little bit extra time I forget if it was fire or police so before we vote um I want to make sure that we are clear Ms.

Walsh you put out a question you did not get a response doctor son is saying you did get a response or at least the response was sent I just want everyone to be clear that we're looking at the same set of documents for this to be our first vote of the day I just want us all to look at the same documents.

So do we need time for you to retrieve or for someone to can we pass on these first three and then come back to them procedurally well well hold on one second so the team is working on it.

Okay hold on hold on hold on everyone today is May 20th Dr.