Councilwoman Vicki Almond is the lone dissenting vote as an 11th hour push to table the legislation fails.
A change to how county employees appeal pension decisions was approved despite an 11th hour attempt to delay the final vote. The Baltimore County Council Tuesday night voted 6-1 in favor of the legislation that moves the appeals process from a seven-member panel appointed by the council to one of two administrative law judges appointed by the county executive. Councilwoman Vicki Almond, a Reisterstown Democrat, was the lone vote against the bill and three amendments. Almond, reading from a prepared statement, said the bill would affect the integrity of the council and "county employees for years to come." She said conflicting legal opinions offered by County Attorney Michael Field and county legislators in the General Assembly was reason …
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County officials say the proposed changes make appeals more efficient, professional while critics say the county is stacking the deck in its favor.
A proposal to change how some pension appeals are dealt with in Baltimore County has some crying foul. The bill, requested by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, would move such appeals from the County Council-appointed Board of Appeals to one of two administrative law judges appointed by the executive. Don Mohler, a county spokesman, said the goal is to improve efficiency and provide another layer of hearings for employees while at the same time improving the professionalism of the system. "These are complex issues," Mohler said of the pension appeals. Labor groups say the county is looking to rig the process in its favor after a number of decisions that have gone in favor of employees. "We're fixing a system that doesn't appear to be broken…
moe green
5:29 am on Tuesday, March 26, 2013
another member of the stay at home but want to get paid crowd. how about you lose forty pounds, join a gym and stop smoking? more ›