For Immediate Release: Monday, April 11, 2016
The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday, April 12, will introduce Bill 12-16 that would gradually increase the County minimum wage to $15 per hour by July 1, 2020. Councilmember Marc Elrich is the lead sponsor of the legislation. Councilmembers George Leventhal, Nancy Navarro and Hans Riemer are co-sponsors.
Bill 12-16 will be introduced during the Council’s weekly general session beginning at 9:30 a.m. with an interview of County Executive Ike Leggett’s appointee to the Housing Opportunity Commission, Pamela Byrd. That interview will be held in the Third Floor Conference Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The meeting will then move to the Third Floor Hearing Room.
The meeting will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon) and also will be available via streaming through the Council web site at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8
The meeting will be rebroadcast on CCM at 9 p.m. on Friday, April 15.
In 2013, the Council enacted Bill 27-13 that established a County minimum wage for private sector employees working in the County, unless the State or federal minimum wage is higher. The County minimum wage established under Bill 27-13 is being phased in over several years. The rate was set at $8.40 per hour effective Oct. 1, 2014, and increased to $9.55 per hour on Oct. 1, 2015. It is set to increase to $10.75 on July 1 of this year, and will go to $11.50 per hour on July 1, 2017.
The County minimum wage does not apply to a worker who is exempt from the State or federal minimum wage, is under the age of 19 and is employed no more than 20 hours per week, or subject to an "opportunity wage" under the State or federal law. Employers of tipped employees may include in the computation of their wage amount a "tip credit" not exceeding the County minimum wage less $4 per hour.
In 2014, the Maryland General Assembly enacted a law raising the State's minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour over four years, with incremental increases to $8.25 in 2015, $8.75 in 2016, $9.25 in 2017 and $10.10 in 2018. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 hour and has not changed since 2009. California and New York are currently in the process of enacting statewide laws that would increase their respective minimum wages for at least some workers to $15 per hour over a period of years.
Under the transition provisions of Bill 12-16, the County minimum wage would increase to $12.50 in 2018, $13.75 in 2019 and $15 in 2020. Additionally, the bill would require, beginning in 2021, annual adjustments to the minimum wage by the annual average increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.
During the session, Council Administrator Steve Farber will present an overview of the Fiscal Year 2017 operating budget that has been recommended by County Executive Leggett. The Council held five public hearings last week on the budget, with approximately 200 residents testifying. The Council is scheduled to make final decisions on the budget on May 19 and to adopt implementing resolutions on May 26.
The Executive's recommended tax supported operating budget (including debt service) is $4.62 billion, up $206.2 million (4.7 percent) from the Council-approved FY16 budget. The total recommended budget (including grants and enterprise funds) is $5.28 billion, up $193.8 million (3.8 percent) from the FY16 approved budget.
The FY17 recommended budget assumes the first property tax increase above the County Charter limit since FY09.
Council Administrator Farber’s report states that Montgomery County Public Schools “is a focal point of the FY17 recommended budget, up 6.2 percent to support progress on class size and the achievement gap as well as pay increases and basic structural costs. (The Board of Education requested an 8.2 percent increase.) Increases for County Government, Montgomery College and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission are smaller, in the 2 percent range, but support targeted improvements for libraries, police and other key functions.”
During the session, the Council is scheduled to take action on Bill 5-16 that would prohibit minors 18-and-under from using indoor tanning devices. Currently, minors can use tanning facilities if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
The lead sponsor of Bill 5-16 is Councilmember Tom Hucker. The bill is co-sponsored by Councilmembers Elrich, Leventhal, Navarro, Riemer, Roger Berliner, Nancy Floreen, Sidney Katz and Craig Rice.
Also to be introduced during the session is Bill 13-16 that would extend health and insurance benefits to opposite-sex domestic partners of County employees. County Executive Leggett has requested introduction of the bill.
The recently negotiated collective bargaining agreement between the County and the Municipal and County Government Employees Organization, Local 1994 (MCGEO) provides that all health and insurance benefits be extended to opposite-sex domestic partners of employees covered under the agreement. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 35 (FOP) and the International Association of Firefighters, Local 1664 (IAFF) have similar provisions in their contracts. The statutory change in eligibility for health and insurance benefits would be effective Jan. 1, 2017, so as to coincide with the normal health plan enrollment period that is done in the fall and takes effect Jan. 1 of each year.
Bill 28-99, which was signed into law on Dec. 3, 1999, extended health and insurance benefits to a same-sex domestic partner of an employee.
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