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Montgomery County Council President Wants Other County Workers To Give Up Raise

By: Matt Bush // December 16, 2008
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In Maryland's Montgomery County, teachers and support staff have agreed to give up yearly raises to help close a county budget shortfall.

The president of the county council would like to see other workers follow suit.

Phil Andrews says the county has 33,000 workers, 22,000 of whom work in the school system. Their decision to forgo their yearly cost of living increase saved the county around $89 million.

Andrews now hopes that example will be followed by the rest of the county's workers. County Executive Isiah Leggett has been negotiating with the unions representing those workers. The county is facing a projected budget shortfall of $450 million in the next fiscal year.

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