Update: County Saves $1.7 M From Retirements in Five More Departments
Baltmore County will save nearly $1.7 million from retirements in five more county departments.
The majority of the savings, about $773,000, will come from the retirement of 11 Baltimore County Public Schools employees. Retirements in four other departments, totaling 15 employees, will save the county an additional $896,000, according to information released by the county auditor's office.
All of the savings is directly attributable to employees who applied for the county's early retirement incentive program.
That brings the total known savings to about $12.7 million from the early retirement of 200 employees in 12 county agencies.
Savings from Early Retirement Incentive Program
| Department | Retired Employees | Expected Savings |
| Baltimore County Public Library | 4 | $222,000 |
| Baltimore County Public Schools | 11 | $773,000 |
| Housing | 3 | $132,000 |
| Planning | 4 | $264,000 |
| Social Services | 4 | $278,000 |
| Total | 26 | $1,669,000 |
The additional savings was reported as part of the review of the county's annual budget by the County Council. Earlier this week, Patch reported that the retirement of 174 people in seven other departments would save the county about $11 million.
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced the early retirement incentive last year. County officials hoped to eliminate 200 positions and save about $15 million annually.
More than 600 county employees applied for the retirement incentive. The county approved 310 retirements and estimate the savings will be about $21 million.
Steve Whisler
5:19 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Brian, please be careful in rebroadcasting the propoganda and euphemistic numbers. The "savings" relates to annual pay and benefits they would have paid; however, I suggest you subtract from that figure the total amount the retirees will receive in their very generous retirement pay and benefits packages.
Give us the true net savings - not some euphemistic figure the politicians will use to make us think they saved more than they actually did.
Steve Whisler
Arbutus
Bryan P. Sears
5:27 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Aren't those pension benefits a constant? An employee will eventually retire and collect their pension. The elimination of the salary and benefits through closing out the position isn't a real savings?
fred
6:19 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
what do you suggest cut of the employees with nothing? the monies for retirement does not come from the same revenue source as pay for employees.
Buzz Beeler
5:56 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I know of two drops that will wipe out those savings in one fell swoosh.
JustiNotherWarmBody
7:26 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
That's funny,I calculated at least 23 B.C.P.S. employees that was approve and retired with the early retirement incentive,and of those positions,18 have already been filled.I applied for the early incentive,but was "DENIED",because they didn't want to"Lose my position".
Buzz Beeler
7:42 am on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
That is kinda like getting rid of the three colonels because they were doing away with that position. Well not exactly, they just did away with the one's that did not fit into the puzzle palace scheme of things.
If you were denied you may want to talk to a lawyer. That decision was made by Fred Homan and I think he may have overstepped his authority. I also think you may see a class action taken down the road.
Ron Burgundy
8:23 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Steve Whisler, ahhh the candidate who's trying to rival Newt Gingrich on the family ethics issue, lecturing us on ethics. I think Mr. Whisler has enough on his plate that perhaps he should just slide back and warm that new bottle. The County's in capable hands. By the way how's that 6 point poll lead going into election day holding up. 'Nuff said!
Josephine Hlatki
7:57 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
So, let's get this straight....The positions of those taking early retirement are being filled by new employees or others moving into those positions, making room at the bottom for new hires to fill those that moved up the ladder? I'm sorry, but I just don't see the savings here. Now, if you said that those positions were not being filled, but eliminated, that would be a savings.
When my husband took early retirement from his employer, it was because they were eliminating jobs, closing that location. THAT was a company saving lots of money. Also, when you give incentives to people to retire, doesn't that mean some sort of financial bonus on top of the usual retirement benefits? Then, to just turn around and hire others to fill those positions.....I'm not getting the economic benefits to us taxpayers here.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Dundalkwatchdog
12:29 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
I, for one would like to see the total payouts to these retirees. If someone makes lets say 60 grand a year, and you give them 300 grand to retire early plus extra on their monthly pensions, Can you really say with a straight face that you saved the county 60 grand a year.
JustiNotherWarmBody
12:35 am on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Dundalkwatchdog,I LIKE your math,but it doesn't work that way.The 300 grand(Drop Program) that you're referring to,would not apply to someone making $60,000/yr.
If your 3 avg. highest yrs.equaled $60,000 andyou worked 30yrs.service time + 3yrs. early retire. incent.=33 total retire. yrs.,
33yrs.divided by 1/55= 60%,
$60,000 x 60%= $36,000/yr. or $3000/mo.(before taxes & health ins.)
Trixie Leigh
4:33 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
Josephine, the people who were allowed to retire on the early retirement incentive were allowed to because their positions were not being refilled. However there were many others who just retired without the incentive because their positions were necessary. Those positions ARE being refilled.
Josephine Hlatki
8:58 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
Trixie Leigh, seems that Justinotherwarmbody said otherwise. Who has the facts straight? Or am I reading it wrong.
wilson
9:02 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
who got the real numbers.
Trixie Leigh
9:14 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
I do!
JustiNotherWarmBody
11:54 pm on Monday, May 21, 2012
My calculations must be way off,Trixie?11 salary positions from Physical Fac.,1 from Food Srvc.,1 Transportation and 10 hourly positions from Physical Fac.& Distribution. I guess my personal relationship w/ most of the 23 people/positions who left does carry much leverage here?Also,that means I wouldn't know who filled which positions either?The sad part is,when they do fill the Supervisor/Management positions,its the schools that suffer,because the organizational chart continues to be top heavy w/ management positions.If/when positions are reduced,it's from the various crews that actually maintain and repair the schools.But I wouldn't know that.It's all SMOKE and MIRRORS folks!
Trixie Leigh
4:58 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The difference here is whether they left WITH the incentive or without the incentive. If they left with the incentive, their positions were eliminated. If they left withOUT the incentive, then the positions can be filled. We already are suffering because we lost a whole lot of talent and many of the ones who are left are clueless. AND, sorry to say, it isn't over! There are many who wanted to leave but couldn't under the incentive, but time will arrive starting in the summer of 2013. We will see a big drop of talent when they leave. These folks were in the "drop" program and people in the the "drop" will be able to collect starting sometime next summer. Hope you don't need any services soon after cause it won't happen! Not quickly anyway. Cause the ones left behind will be too busy learning the job to do anything else. Instead of doing "more with less", we are already doing less with less and even more less with less starting next summer! Don't say I didn't warn you all!
JustiNotherWarmBody
2:04 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
Trixie Leigh,all the positions that I stated were given the incentive and MOST ALL of them have been REFILLED.I do know a couple of people who applied for the incentive and were turned down.They have retired and/or are going to in June.The sad part is that they did not have the opportunity to earn an extra 5.5% towards there final retirement.They are the ones who don't make that much anyway.
You are correct about the lose of some of the more experienced talent and role models.Some of the young & inexperienced people who are PLACED in the above positions DO NOT have a clue on how to treat/motivate people.As they say anyone can be a BOSS but it take a special person to be a LEADER.And I see VERY few leaders among the ones being PLACED in those positions.
Trixie,recently moral appears to be very low and a lot of GOOD people have given up. Hopefully you're close enough to retirement that you WON'T have to put up with this situation much longer.
Trixie Leigh
6:54 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
I am not, however my husband is close to retirement, but wasn't close enough this past year for the incentive. Once he goes, we both will go, sell our Maryland house and head to a state that doesn't tax you to death! Maybe the positions that were filled were filled on a different pay level or scale? The positions eliminated were not to be filled with the same level or pay scale, and if they did, then someone err'd. Moral - I agree is in the pits! Many who I work with said that this is worse than what they went thru when Haden was in office - except that there were no layoffs. This time.
john
9:19 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
Look at the impact of these changes on the Department of Recreation and Parks.
Not having experienced staff in the right places sends the wrong message to program volunteers. Poor decisions, a lack of leadership.....this agency is not meeting the real needs of Baltimore County!