Salary increase of 73% approved for Baltimore County Council members

The Baltimore County Council has voted to raise the salaries of its members by a 73% 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 about 20% to $240,000 a year. The spokesperson noted, however, that the salary change only applies to 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. 

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In March, the Baltimore County Council passed, but then rescinded, earlier legislation that tied the hikes in salaries to members' pensions, the Banner reported.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