Politics & Government

Howard County Executive Opposes Teacher Pension Shift

Moving teacher pensions from state to county budget is "not the right move," said County Executive Ken Ulman.

By Mike Bock and Lizzy McLellan, CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposal to shift some teacher pension costs from the state to the county level would save Maryland about $240 million.

The proposed teacher pension shift, which has been discussed for years, comes as O'Malley tries to close a $1.1 billion hole in the state budget.

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Howard County Executive Ken Ulman said Tuesday after a meeting in Annapolis between the governor and county leaders that he opposes the shift because counties are "not in any better position to afford it than the state is."

The county will lose a chunk of its revenue stream due to a 12 percent decline in property tax assessments, according to the Howard County Times.

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"We're going to work hard to educate legislators on why we think the teacher pension shift is not the right move," Ulman told Capital News reporters.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. said Tuesday morning that he supports the shift.

"It's a compromise," Miller said. "Not everyone can be happy in these very difficult times."

Potential changes to teacher pension funds were included in the final report of the Public Employees and Retirees' Benefit Sustainability Commission last July. The report recommended that "teacher retirement costs should be shared with local boards of education so that the State provides 50 percent of the combined cost of Social Security and pensions for teachers."

Michael Sanderson, executive director of the Maryland Association of Counties, said that while this proposal signals "a difficult year ahead" for the counties, the governor also discussed "elements of the plans designed to keep it from being as painful as it might have been."

The change would be phased in, according to the state's report, a point echoed by Howard County's Budget Administrator Ray Wacks.

"I don’t think anyone is saying it will happen all at once," said Wacks at January's , responding to questions about the potential pension shift.

He said that he would be encouraging "status quo" and "hold-the-line budgets" in the meantime.

"We’re going to watch and see," Wacks said.


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