the county government is not worried about the taxpayer,,,,I filed for reduced property taxes earlier this year based on my income and they never responded....with a government this big for the county you think someone could at least notify me....

how about eliminating those GRANTS !

Just goes to show everyone how strong the Baltimore County Pension System is and that is largely credited to the great concessions county employees have already made over the years!

Didn't I hear the words "no layoffs," somewhere? I thought the county executive had this all under control.

Seems like every time I brought the budget up I was considered a --- nay-Sayer.

I would love to see the amount spent on social services and other entitlements.

I wonder if the pic of the county executive driving a Bobcat in promoting a $30 million dollar library and school addition on the west side is still in the works?

Mr. Kamenetz has been in the county leadership role for many years both as a councilman and now county executive. Perplexing why he could not hear the sound of that whistle on the train coming down the track headed right at him.

I think they call it a --- train wreck!

Not in your wildest dreams Bueller. There is not a municipality in America that isn't trying to tighten their belts in these trying economic conditions.

It's called Leadership.

Buzz: Over the last two or three years the previous administration has promised no layoffs and no furloughs. My recollection is that Smith promised that into the 2012 (current) budget year.

In my interview, Don Mohler never uses the word layoffs. It's certainly implied in one of his quotes.

That being said, the possibility of layoffs is not incompatible with the previous "read my lips—esque" statement (I know but follow me here).

Eligible employees will have to file their application between Oct. 30 and Dec. 30. The county will then determine who can take advantage of the program and if they can hit the number of employees. It's only if the county doesn't get it's number it's looking for that other options would have to be looked at.

What Mohler told me was that this would create serious questions that would need to be resolved as they sit down later this year to put the next budget together. I think that's the key here—the next budget.

Finally, Buzz, you asked about programs.

In an April interview, Kamenetz told me that salaries and benefits account for about 70 cents of every county tax dollar spent.

"It's a staggering number," Kamenetz said at the time. "We have to be ever vigilant about that expense." http://patch.com/A-gBGr

Homan will wield some real power being the guy making final decisions...interesting..

Is anyone else hearing that Homan is hand picking who gets the retirement. What power this guy has. If he doesn't meet the quota he will dig and find something wrong with someone and force the retirement. It has happened in the past. How many years has he been working for the county. Is he eligible for retirement? Let's put his name in the mix.

Baltimore County government runs fairly efficiently, but I see major issues that need to be addressed: pensions, underutilized schools and other facilities.
Unsustainable pensions and retiree health benefits will eventually cause us to layoff current fire, police and teachers. We have all kinds of upper echelon county employees - department heads, judges, etc. collecting $50,000-$100,000+ a year pensions - sometimes for 30+ years!! The rest of the world has moved to 401(k) plans with employer match - when will municipalities follow? At the least, the county has to cap pensions at a maximum regardless of salary.

Baltimore County has 5-6 schools in eastern and western parts of the county that are 50% full. Consolidate them, so you can properly run schools like in Perry Hall and Owings Mills that are at 110% capacity.

Our county leadership needs to address these items before we have to start closing firehouses and can't keep our schools running.

William the county does not have tax credits based on income. This is handled by the state homeowners tax credit. You need to call them or go to their website.

I'm still wondering why Kamenetz didn't publish the teachers salaries when he published the county employee salaries. He's afraid people will see how high some of them are! No one person should have the authority to decide who gets to retire.

Thank you Robert for another click on the view-o-meter, but due-diligence forces me to be honest.

Are you referring to the boat "Leadership," or those at the helm, or in this case the leadership of the county?

I was being rather facetious in my comments. Another way to describe my barb is to say I was being critical of the leadership you speak of.

The reason for my assumption is this administration has been in power long enough to understand managing a budget. One point comes to mind is the massive cost of entitlements incurred by the leadership you speak. Kinda like they made the bed they are now sleeping in.

I do understand your reference to the boat by capitalizing the L, but unfortunately the vessel you speak of is sinking.

B, I think johnny towson covered all the bases and eloquently so on Mr. Homan.

My question to Bryan is did you actually speak with Homan and what was your perception? I know this would put you on the spot, but many others have been there before.

I never understood why Kamenetz made some of the appointments he did. All the executive accomplished was carry over the Smith leftovers which by now are rather stale.

I have been writing about the county's budget issues for years and was roundly criticized for blowing smoke, but somewhere in the background I hear the sound of sirens.

Thats all you ever do is blow smoke.

If you Goggle (sic) "County" and "Layoffs" you will get 1500 News articles about counties across the country that are having to deal with layoffs. But with your chronic case of the Red Ass for Baltimore County you want people to believe it's all the current administration's fault.

It's the economy Stoopid!

This is addressed to Roxane. What is your concern about teacher's salaries? Given how many hours they are expected to work off the clock, they hardly make anything. Besides, go to the bcps website. The salary scales are published under the jobs link. Anyone can find them.

Bryan, I contend that our county has been managing its budget myopically, year to year or cycle to cycle. The concerns of this citizen are that many opportunities have come and past where the county could have helped, actively or passively, the citizens and investors in the county evolve with the changing economic and social dynamics. However, political the county's political dynamics and its related influence, have out-paced the maintenance and enrichment of the county's constituents and resources. We now find ourselves in a disadvantaged and rather volatile condition. My disappointment and contention lies within the lack of stewardship, leadership and execution by elected representatives AND many in the private investment community; this includes by necessity, their relationships and partnerships on a state-wide basis. We have reached a turning point where accountability and a clear vision for charting the course of the county, over the next 10 years is needed. Claiming that we are the "best of the worst" is no longer going to pacify our concerns. Expectations are increasing and the capacity and intentions of the elected remains static and self-serving.

Bryan, as to the medical issues and any impact they may have.

Here is a question, most employees that will take advantage of this early out has more than 25 years of service some with 30 plus years. This will add anywhere between 4 to 6 percent to their retirement. Who pays for the additional percentages? Is the county picking up that cost or are they going to put it on the backs of the current employees or future hires?

My sense is, the plan is to address immediate budget short-falls first. The current pension agreements are unsustainable so adding to them will not be this administration's primary concern. The County Executive will next launch a campaign to renegotiate the pension contracts in place or leave it to someone else. What is certain to happen, is that individual persons and their pensions and some agency's pension contracts will become the subject of public discourse and subsequent scorn. KK will draw on the public's ire over "outrageous" pensions and pay-offs. The fact that he lobbied these people and their agencies for votes (read used them), is a circumstance he (KK) is betting the public will not remember at the polls. I am certain that the plan is for this County Executive is to put the blame on anyone and anything else outside his office, EXECUTE NOTHING of lasting significance and claim that he "has no choice" other than pursue a change in the system. While some of that will be true, the methods and politics employed, will serve to first deflect attention away from his responsibilities and to create a difficult environment not conducive to executing reform while he is in office (his current office). It will be, politics as usual, directed by the tenured powers at be, with less and less regard for us, the county citizens.

Bryan, I understand your answer. I just wonder if there is a double standard? It has always been that way.

I wonder how they will handle the 14 other cases lined up behind Blake?

Bryan, on another issue, johnny towson is spot on and if you pull the pin with what is going on now and will continue to go on in this matter, there won't be enough room on this site for the comments. The figures will do the talking. You don't have to use names.

Maybe it's time for the county to start doing what private industry has been doing for years and clawing back/ eliminating the pensions and medical benefits of retirees. It's a pretty common practice in private industry. IBM, GM, Beth Steel even the NFL did it.
Turn the whole mess over to the PBGC and let them cap the monthly amounts and medical benefits. That's why they are in existence.
These people should wake up and smell the coffee and spend a day in the real world. For a good read on the subject read "Retirement Heist" by Ellen Schultz

Here is another good article about the pension heists.

http://www.salon.com/news/economics/index.html?story=/mwt/feature/2011/09/17/retirement_heist_interview

johnny, you didn't know Robert has - according to him - three college degrees, speaks 6 languages and retired from the military?

johnny you can see his three degrees at work by clicking on his name and read his profound - but confusing - comments. I never did figure out why he quotes himself.

I would think that a person with a background of that magnitude would at least have one link to their name, but Google says otherwise.

You haven't figured out by now that Bueller has the brains of a Walnut.

Google is the end all be all in your little world?? It's nice to fly under the radar. You should try it but I don't think your ego would let you.

Pat Conroy is one of the best authors out there bar none. It just goes to show I have varied tastes!

No one seems to get the point. Ranting and raving about salary postings and economics. Its simple. Stop wasting money ! Baltimore County gave GM, an already goverment bailed out company, 6 million dollars in a grant. Baltimore County gives the Zoo and Mueseum of Art, both located in Baltimore City, at least 3.2 million dollars a year. Cut out these things and you save 9.2 million dollars, I know its genius. Im sure I could find about another 20 million dollars or so to save also putting the total savings well above the 15-20 million the County is trying to save by this plan.

I've been following Patch for a while, and I finally decided to join in. Great comments here. I'm less concerned about this incentive than most. It is needed to weed out the highest paid county managers. The real issue here continues to be the projected shortfall of revenue for the county. Baltimore County will need to reduce its work force, which is the largest strain on the budget, to position itself better in the future. They must do this! If you truly look at what the county has done, they have not reduced services or the work force. This incentive is the first step. Once this is done, they need to then focus on reducing the remainder of the work force through retirement incentives and possibly job cuts. Personnel costs are where all the money goes!

Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t the County go through this before?
Fast forward and now the same thing has happened. Now Department heads, some of which were in their positions or in the wings waiting for their turn to run things, have re-inflated their staff with unnecessary personnel. You would think they would have kept things lean knowing you can do more with less. Mr.Kamenetz you should encourage some of your Department heads to head over to retirement. They obviously haven’t learned anything from the county’s history and the tax payers of this county deserve better.

The pension is the reason people work for the government. County workers do not make a comparable salary as non-government workers. I have worked private sector and public sector. It took me 10 years with the government to make what I had made on the outside. I am still 10 years behind in salary. Most of us are very hard workers doing the jobs of several. My concern is that we will be losing our seasoned co-workers that have the knowledge that takes time to have instilled. The public wants less employees but will complain that the services and hours are cut. We are all in a lose lose situation and ask for patience. It is not the front line employees fault but we are the ones that get the brunt.

Well said, Raven.