Lori Graham
Contributing Writer
MONTGOMERY COUNTY – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors voted 6-1 in favor of a 50% salary increase for themselves at the Feb. 24 meeting.
Supervisor Todd King voted against the resolution.
“As each of you know, we had our extended work session on a Saturday when this was brought up. I let you know that I was not in support of this,” King said. “First, last year citizens got their taxes raised and I did say that at the meeting. Right now is not the time for this and I will not support it.”
According to Montgomery County Attorney Marty McMahon, the board must adopt the resolution for the increase by July 1 of this year, with an effective date of January 2026. Additionally, the board must vote during an election year, which is the current year.
The last year of an effective annual compensation increase was Jan. 1, 2020, of $14,000, with the board chair receiving an additional $2,000 and the vice chair an additional $1,400. The new compensation will be $21,000 per board member with the chair and vice chair each receiving $2,000 and $1,400 respectively.
Additionally, the board voted 6-1 in favor of appropriation and then the option agreement to purchase .764 acres in the amount of $925,000. King voted against both resolutions. The property, located at 305 Roanoke St., will be utilized to house administrative offices for the county’s career department of both fire and EMS.
Supervisor Sara Bohn said, “I guess everyone knows, but we’ve established this department, and they don’t have a home.”
County Administrator Angie Hill addressed questions and concerns from citizens due to a large discrepancy in the property’s assessed value compared to the agreed purchase price accepted by the county.
“The tax assessment is performed by the Commissioner of Revenue’s office currently, and so they conduct that. It’s reassessed, I can’t speak to why it is the value it is,” Hill said. “We did receive an independent appraisal and as Chair DeMotts said, we are in the lower end of that, so I don’t know what the discrepancy is due to.”
“The assessed value is based on the purchase of the property in 2020, which does change the assessed value. The actual value of real estate is determined by market factors, which is why I think you will remember that I requested, and I think it’s our process anyways, that we have an appraisal during our due diligence period to make sure that the purchase price, with a private appraisal does actually make sense for us,” DeMotts said.
A public hearing is not required for the purchase of this property, Bohn clarified.