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December 16, 2008

Maryland state employee furloughs are official

Gov. O'Malley's office just sent out word that he signed an executive order this morning making his furlough plan for state employees official. Looks like it remains pretty much as the governor proposed it a couple of weeks ago. The plan is expected to save $34 million. It comes on a day when the state is getting new (and significantly worse) revenue estimates for this year and next, which means this may not even be the end of it. Here are the details:

All employees subject to this Executive Order shall be required to forego the equivalent of at least two days of pay, and employees making more than $40,000 will also be required to take 16 or 24 furlough hours on or after January 14, 2009 and before June 30, 2009. Employees earning salaries of less than $40,000 will not be required to take furlough hours, although they will be included in the two days of pay equivalent salary reduction, which are pre-designated for December 26, 2008 and January 2, 2009.
To mitigate the impact of the required two days salary equivalent reduction on permanent employees, these salary reductions will be spread over the remainder of FY 2009. Employees earning greater than $40,000 per year, depending on pay, are required to take additional 16 to 24 furlough hours between January 14, 2009 and June 30, 2009. These additional furlough hours will be in the form of leave without pay, and will be reflected in the actual pay period in which the employees do not work.
Employees in 24/7 health and public safety positions are exempt from these pay reductions. State employees are encouraged to visit the “State Employees” section of www.dbm.maryland.gov, where the full Executive Order is posted along with Frequently Asked Questions.

Posted by Andy Green at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

Comments

Thanks for the Christmas furlough Marty. Why do the state employees need to pay for the mismanagement of the states resources by these clowns in office?

Posted by: JSW | December 16, 2008 6:10 PM

We had a great gov with a surplus but the democrats in Maryland couldn't stand a republican running things. Stop complaining because you probably voted for Marty anyway. You got what you voted for Maryland

Posted by: Jayr | December 16, 2008 7:35 PM

Hey, times are tough. This state employee is willing to take the pay cut in recognition of fiscal realities. Merry Christmas to all.

Posted by: Mac | December 16, 2008 7:42 PM

Everyone but O'Malley saw this coming 2 years ago. He kept spending on new projects, buying hundreds of millions of dollars worth of land, and did NOT prepare for the slower economic times.

He needs to be permanently furloughed in 2 years!

Posted by: J Galt | December 16, 2008 7:43 PM

I agree. MERRY CHRISTMAS MARTIN O MALLEY. Again you want to balance the state budget on the employees who do the work. I am not sure how $34 million will help the budget. Why not work on all the boarded up homes in the city and that would help with revenue........

Posted by: JOHN | December 16, 2008 7:58 PM

Thanks to all the true-believer's who voted for him. We need to get rid of him in the next election.

Posted by: FMO | December 16, 2008 8:02 PM

Though I really feel badly for anyone who has to take a paycut, and that is what this furlough scheme is -- a paycut of 1% to 2.5% for each state employee. I believe the legislative branch of state government should not be exempt from this plan. The legislators got us into this mess by spending money based on the highly anticipated income from transfer taxes and property taxes of already bloated real estate values. Did they not realize we were in a bubble? If a furlough is good for one branch, it should be good for all branches of Maryland government.

Posted by: Mary Helfrich | December 16, 2008 9:06 PM

Martin O’Malley is the worst manager of resources and funds ever seen in this state, overshadowed only by his own incompetence as a manager of the city. Yet the blame lies solely on the very people he has deceived, as many of you voted time and time again for uselessness. Take your furlough days to educate yourself and learn that voting has consequences and that your ignorance (like his direction) is hurting you and your family, as well as mine.

Posted by: MJS | December 16, 2008 9:55 PM

does the Governor have to take a ferlough also? i hope so, i think the state could benefit greatly if he did. the longer he's goen the greater the benefit.

Posted by: phil brhrens | December 16, 2008 10:50 PM

Great way to start the holidays! What's interesting is the money the state is spending on Base Realignment yet are letting millions fall by the way side by means of tax credits, economic incentives. Let the big companys or the feds pay their fair share. And with the furloughs, where will it stop. I dare to say that the state employee will be paying next year by not recieving increments or colas, but will bet the shaft by means of high co-pays. What's amazing is that the state employee has never recovered from the loses suffered in '91 under Gov. Schaeffer. It's amazing how the cost of living adjustments never reach the state employee in order to stay status quo, but let there be a shortage, and bam! we get hit first. Thanks Owe Malley!

Posted by: Annie Nonymus | December 16, 2008 11:51 PM

I think it is just the tough time for everyone. It won't be surprising to see the average salary for people will shrink after it increased a lot in the last few years (per http://www.salarylist.com/average-salary.htm)

Posted by: Jason | December 17, 2008 2:22 AM

JSW: There have to be resources to manage! You are missing the point. Go read revenue data. We ALL need to pay.

Posted by: WDH | December 17, 2008 5:46 AM

When the slots legislation passed, I was told that the sky opened, light shone down from the heavens, angels sang, and... this will deliver the State from every financial hardship!

What happened, Marty?

Posted by: angry maryland resident | December 17, 2008 3:45 PM

Check out this video related to furloughs and other budget cuts that are hurting public employees. It's time for employees to get active and fight back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H1sq_VumBM

Posted by: Andy Kujan | December 18, 2008 2:38 PM

The worst thing to do in a recession is to cut government spending especially people's jobs. Wow, what makes me shake my head is the fact that MD creates an HSA test that asks the question about what to do an economic low and the answer is to increase government spending and yet they do the opposite.

Posted by: AG | December 18, 2008 9:27 PM

Why can't MOM work for no pay like some other state govenors? After all his wife is still working he sold his home in Baltimore and he has free rent while he is Govenor.

Posted by: Granny | December 19, 2008 1:11 PM

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About the bloggers

Laura Smitherman has been ensconced in the State House basement, writing about the governor, General Assembly and vagaries of Maryland politics for several years. An erstwhile business reporter, her interest in politics dates to her days in Washington when she covered Congress and national campaigns for another media outlet. She now follows a range of policy debates from slot-machine gambling to universal health care and energy regulation, while keeping an eye on the next election.

Paul West covers Washington for The Baltimore Sun, continuing a tradition that began the month the paper was born, in 1837. He hasn't been in the DC bureau that long--only since Ronald Reagan was president. He's covered Congress, the White House and presidential campaigns as the paper's national political correspondent and Washington bureau chief. He's on the lookout for news of significance to Sun readers at the other end of the B/W Parkway. That includes the activities of the state's congressional delegation and anything else that might shed some light on the inner workings of the nation's capital.

Julie Bykowicz's first days as a political reporter, in January 2009, coincided with Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's indictment and the start of the Maryland General Assembly's 426th legislative session. She focuses on coverage of state agencies, such as social services, juvenile justice and prisons. During the session, she wrote about the death penalty, slots parlors and speed cameras, among other hot topics. Julie began political reporting after more than seven years on The Baltimore Sun's crime desk. She lives in Baltimore and works primarily in Annapolis.

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