Over a Year Late, Residents Finally Get to Weigh in on Washington County Salaries for Elected Officials

Every four years, Washington County Government is required by law to form a Salary Study Commission, to consider pay adjustments for certain County elected positions as well as the liquor board. The last Salary Commission study and public hearing took place in 2020, and seems to have been pretty uneventful. On January 12, 2026, the commission will host a public hearing to gather perspectives from the community. Unfortunately, this public hearing, as well as the report itself, is now over a year late.

The Salary Study Commission is tasked with examining and making recommendations regarding the compensation of various elected and appointed officials within Washington County. According to state statutes, the commission is composed of representatives from a diverse range of organizations, including the Democratic and Republican Central Committees of Washington County, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, the Washington County Farm Bureau, the League of Women Voters of Washington County, the Western Maryland Central Labor Council, and the Cumberland Valley Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. Additionally, a representative from the Joint Veterans Council of Washington County and one at-large member, a resident selected by the County Commissioners, are also part of the commission. All members are required to be registered voters in Washington County who have participated in at least two elections in the past four years, with one of those being a gubernatorial election. Members are prohibited from being elected officials or employees of officials whose salaries the commission studies.

However, most importantly, the commission is supposed to be appointed on or before March 31 every four years, starting in 2016. This means the salary commission was supposed to be appointed by March 31, 2024. When submitting a Public Information Act request for the 2024 salary study results, we were informed the report had been delayed.

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“This oversight was likely caused by the large turnover of department and division heads that the County has experienced since the last salary study was completed in 2020,” said County Attorney Zachary Kieffer when the 2024 Salary Study results were requested by Radio Free Hub City in early 2025. Shortly after filing our Public Information Act request on February 10, 2025, the county sent letters on February 14, 2025 to organizations to nominate representatives.

The commission’s responsibilities include studying the salaries of the County Commissioners of Washington County, the Washington County Board of Education, the Washington County Board of Liquor License Commissioners, the judges of the Orphans’ Court for Washington County, and the Treasurer of Washington County. In its evaluation, the commission is to consider several factors, such as the scope of responsibilities for each office, the educational and licensing requirements, the time commitment involved, the salaries of similar positions in other jurisdictions, the compensation of subordinate employees, and the overall workload.

The commission is required to hold at least one public hearing every four years, with notice published in a local newspaper of general circulation. Following its review, the commission is mandated to issue a report with its recommendations to the County Commissioners of Washington County by December 1 of the appointment year.

Originally the County Commissioners were set to vote on the Salary Commission’s recommendations on December 9, 2025, with an 8.14% increase for County Commissioners of Washington County, the Washington County Board of Education, the Washington County Board of Liquor License Commissioners, and the judges of the Orphans’ Court for Washington County. No increase was recommended for the Washington County Treasurer. However, that item was not voted on, with no explanation given as to why. On December 12, 2025, Radio Free Hub City emailed inquiring if this was related to our inability to locate any public hearing by the Salary Commission, and if this was why the item was not voted on. No response was received from the County regarding this inquiry.

After the public hearing, the Salary Commission will make its recommendations to the County Commissioners. The County Commissioners are supposed to have a period of 60 days after receiving these recommendations to set the salaries for the studied offices through local law, but it’s unclear when the clock actually starts since the commissioners were already presented recommendations prior to the required public hearing.

The County Commissioners have the authority to accept, reduce, or reject the commission’s recommendations, but they are not permitted to increase them.

According to county records, County Commissioners make $38,000 per year, and the County Commissioner President makes $41,000 per year. An 8.14% increase would set the salaries to approximately $41,000 for Commissioners, and the Commissioner President to approximately $44,300 per year.

The public hearing is scheduled to take place on Monday, January 12, 2026, at 6:00 p.m in the Second Floor Meeting Room of the Washington County Administration Building, located at 100 West Washington Street in Hagerstown, Maryland. This session offers an opportunity for the public to voice their opinions and contribute to the commission’s work. Individuals who wish to speak at the hearing can present their testimony in person. For those unable to attend the meeting, written statements can be submitted via email to countyattorneyoffice@washco-md.net to ensure their feedback is considered by the commission.

Current elected official salaries, and the county’s full response to our original MPIA request are below.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from Washington County Government

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