From the Harford County League of Women Voters:
You are invited to attend the Harford and Cecil Counties’ 2017 Legislative Wrap-Up and Public Forum on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at Harford Community College, 401 Thomas Run Rd, Bel Air, MD 21015 in Edgewood Hall Room 132 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This event is presented by Harford County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. & Harford County League of Women Voters
The large number of teachers that have left the HCPS in recent years is largely the result of the County not providing progressive pay (increments) for many years. This has been true also for deputy sheriffs and other county employees. This unfortunate history is the result of the misguided budgetary process which falsely estimates and (represents to the public) the amount of “new money” needed to add to the payroll (from the previous year) for increments alone. For example the historic claim has been that for nominal 3% increments (for some of the staff) anywhere from to 2% to 3% must be added to the budget. The fallacy arises from failure to account for retirees and others who leave the system. This writer (a mathematician by profession) has analysed this process by developing a payroll model that allows for this entry of new staff onto the system, movement within and retirement. Through extensive parametric analysis the model shows that in the steady state new money costs are generally bounded in the range of minus ½ % to plus ½% of prior year payroll.
My blog at
http://www.complexpolitics.wordpress .com
has that paper posted in addition to several simpler analyses that exhibit the concept discussed above.
I note that HCPS has tried to rectify the historic problem by providing two “catchup “ increments last year and has proposed two this year. I also note that the withholding of steps for deputy sheriffs is undoubtedly the reason for the unsuccessful effort to provide bargaining rights for deputy sheriffs. I also note that Harford County’s largest employer is the Federal Government with so many civilian workers and military – all (like this writer) who have benefitted from routine provision of progressive pay (increments or steps). In fairness I hope that Harford County will treat its county employees with similar fairness.
You would think the would listen to you Harold but they do not appear to appreciate math.