Montgomery County Council Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee Meeting on July 20, 2023

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Committees will review legislation to reclassify two positions within County government as non-merit and amend retirement plans for sworn police personnel, deputy sheriffs, uniformed correctional officers and fire personnel

The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will meet on Thursday, July 20 at 9:30 a.m. to review four expedited bills. The committee will review Expedited Bill 29-23, Administration – Non-merit Positions – Department of Environmental Protection – Department of Transportation, with accompanying resolutions to adopt Executive Regulation 5-23 and Executive Regulation 6-23; Expedited Bill 19-23, Department of Police – Pension and DSRP Adjustments; Expedited Bill 20-23, OPT/STL Bargaining Units – Pension and Retirement Adjustments; and Expedited Bill 21-23, Fire and Rescue Services – Credited Service for Group G Members.

The members of the GO Committee include Chair Kate Stewart, Council Vice President Andrew Friedson and Councilmember Sidney Katz.

More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

Expedited Bill 29-23, Administration – Non-merit Positions – Department of Environmental Protection – Department of Transportation, with accompanying resolutions to adopt Executive Regulation 5-23 and Executive Regulation 6-23

Review: The GO Committee will review Expedited Bill 29-23, Administration – Non-merit Positions – Department of Environmental Protection – Department of Transportation, with accompanying resolutions to adopt Executive Regulation 5-23 and Executive Regulation 6-23. Expedited Bill 29-23 would make the position of deputy director in the Department of Environmental Protection a non-merit position and make the position of general manager, Transit Services a non-merit position. The request to designate these positions as non-merit is intended to improve the effectiveness of County government and ensure full accountability to the County Executive, the County Council and the taxpayers of Montgomery County.

The lead sponsor is the Council president, at the request of the County Executive.

Expedited Bill 19-23, Department of Police – Pension and DSRP Adjustments

Review: The GO Committee will review Expedited Bill 19-23, Department of Police – Pension and DSRP Adjustments, which would amend the Discontinued Retirement Service Plan to replace the age and length of service eligibility requirements with eligibility based upon the employee’s normal retirement date and amend Group F pension multipliers for the Integrated Retirement Plan.

Group F is the retirement plan for sworn police personnel. A current retirement plan summary for Group F is available on the Montgomery County website.

The lead sponsor is the Council president, at the request of the County Executive.

Expedited Bill 20-23, OPT/STL Bargaining Units – Pension and Retirement Adjustments

Review: The GO Committee will review Expedited Bill 20-23, OPT/STL Bargaining Units – Pension and Retirement Adjustments, which would amend Group E eligibility to add eligibility for certain Emergency Communications Center (ECC) positions to the Group E Optional Retirement Plan and the Integrated Retirement Plan. In addition the bill would amend Group J eligibility to add eligibility for certain ECC positions to be designated by the Chief Administrative Officer and amend credited service to provide credited service adjustments for military service. In addition, the bill would separate Group E and Group J regarding pension multipliers, adjust pension multipliers for Group E and Group J, amend the guaranteed retirement savings plan to default into the guaranteed retirement savings plan certain part-time employees in the OPT/SLT bargaining unit and amend the disability benefits plan.

Group E is the retirement plan for sworn deputy sheriffs and uniformed correctional
officers. A current retirement plan summary for Group E and a retirement plan summary for Group J are available on the Montgomery County website.

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The lead sponsor is the Council president, at the request of the County Executive.

Expedited Bill 21-23, Fire and Rescue Services – Credited Service for Group G Members

Review: The GO Committee will review Expedited Bill 21-23, Fire and Rescue Services – Credited Service for Group G Members, which would amend the Optional Retirement Plan and Integrated Retirement Plan pension multipliers in Group G of the Employees’ Retirement System. In addition, the bill would amend the Group G Optional Retirement Plan to provide the same level of sick leave credit benefits provided for County employees in the Group G Integrated Retirement Plan and amend the Group G pension Cost of Living Adjustment.

Group G is the retirement plan for sworn fire personnel. A current retirement plan summary for Group G is available on the Montgomery County website.

The lead sponsor is the Council president, at the request of the County Executive.

The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html .

Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream .

Release ID: 23-247
Media Contact: 240-777-7926, 240-777-7884

For updates and link to press release, see here: http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=43743