Baltimore County Council votes to raise its members' salaries by 74%

The Baltimore County Council has voted to raise the salaries of its members by a 74% margin beginning next year. 

Council members' pay will increase from $69,000 to $119,000 per year starting with the next term, a spokeswoman for Baltimore County confirmed to CBS News Baltimore. The council chair's salary will increase from $77,000 to $129,750.

The county executive's salary will be increased by about 20% to $240,000 a year. The spokesperson noted, however, that the salary change only applies to the next term and does not affect the pay of the county's current executive, Kathy Klausmeier.   

The pay raises were approved during a council meeting on Monday night. Only two councilmembers -- David Marks and Nino Mangione -- voted against the raises.  

"This is a job that requires a lot of hours and requires difficult decisions, but the taxpayers of Baltimore County, I just feel like they were let down, and we should be putting their needs ahead of a 74% pay raise for politicians, and that's why I voted no," Mangione said.  

The increases come after voters approved an expansion of the Baltimore County Council from seven members to nine. 

The salary change indicates that council members and the chair would be paid as full-time employees, our media partner, the Baltimore Banner, reported last month. 

The increases do not bar council members from taking outside work. But the idea presented to voters was that it would not be necessary for members to have outside jobs because the new salary rate is more in line with the cost of living.

In March, the Baltimore County Council passed, but then rescinded, earlier legislation that tied the hikes in salaries to members' pensions, the Banner reported. 

That law would have allowed current council members to receive far larger pension increases than those available to county employees. The council rolled back the proposed legislation after a public outcry.

Councilman Julian Jones, who is running to be the next county executive, said during Monday's meeting that he has only received one raise on council since 2014, and the pay has not kept pace with other employees in the county government.

"I received one raise of a couple of thousand dollars in 12 years and that raise has not kept pace with the employees that work here," Jones said.  

Patrick Dyer, who is running against Jones, says that money should be going to support the first responders and not county council.

"We need to take care of those who take care of us first," Dyer said. "We need to fix our roads first. It's all about priorities. Well, our priorities with this particular decision were out of line and I don't agree with it."

Some Baltimore County residents told CBS News Baltimore they are disappointed that councilmembers voted on a large pay increase for themselves.

"For most people, a raise of that magnitude is not possible or even conceivable, so it's a little disappointing that they would vote themselves an increase that large," Baltimore County resident Neil Pohlhaus said.

Councilmembers who voted in favor of the raise say it will allow them to focus more time and energy to an already demanding job.