Cecil County Government: Council Votes To Defund The Police

Press release from Cecil County Government:

03/16/2022

Council Votes to Defund the Police

Coutz and Miller Vote to Pull Back Public Safety Bonuses and Raises

Elkton, MD: The County Council voted 2-2 last night in the Legislative Session to not fund the recent bonus and pay adjustments awarded by County Executive Danielle Hornberger to the Sheriff's Office, Detention Center, 911 Dispatchers, State's Attorneys, and other public safety officials as well as the 6% COLA awarded to all critical County Employees.  Councilman Bill Coutz and Councilman Al Miller both voted to not fund the bonuses while Council Vice President Jackie Gregory and Councilwoman Donna Culberson voted to fully fund the pay adjustments, law enforcement bonuses and the COLA increase. 

Under the County Charter, the County Executive proposes spending (via a spending amendment) and the County Council must vote in the affirmative, with at least three votes, to approve the proposed spending amendment.  The Law Enforcement bonus and pay adjustment amendment needed 3 votes to pass. Council President Meffley was not able to attend the Legislative Session - but had earlier expressed support for the pay raises (see November 5, 2021 Press Release).

"I am stunned by Councilman Coutz and Miller's successful effort to defund our public safety employees. I believed giving our first responders raises as well as establishing a bonus pool for new hires was the right thing to do and was universally supported," said County Executive Danielle Hornberger. "Again, I am stunned."

During the Legislative Session, both Councilman Coutz and Miller implied that Council President Meffley does not speak for them and that they are not bound by any previous statements of support by the Council President.

Because the spending amendment was defeated by Coutz and Miller, the County will be forced to cancel non-union public safety increases and the county-wide 6% COLA as well as the Sheriff's Office marketing campaign that highlighted the recently announced signing bonuses. For example, the billboards on Route 40 will be immediately taken down.  "Unfortunately, this reversal will have a chilling effect on attracting and retaining public safety employees," said Director of Human Resources, Angelia Lawson.

Sheriff Scott Adams is in talks with the County Executive and the Council trying to work through this situation. Adams said, “I’m clearly disappointed by the vote last night and I’m hopeful that this issue can be revisited. I support the County Executive’s efforts to fully fund law enforcement.”

Council Vice President Jackie Gregory was disappointed by the sudden turn of events.  "While I respect that Councilman Coutz and Councilman Miller are elected by the voters and can vote as they wish, I strongly disagree with their vote to defund our local law enforcement agencies.  They did not give any prior indication to me, the public or the County Executive that they wanted to defund the police," said Gregory.  "All of our hard-working County employees were sandbagged by their irresponsible actions.”

Defeated Amendment 09-2022 can be found online here.

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This press release was produced by Cecil County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.