The Carroll County Board of Supervisors and Carroll County Paramedic Association are set to begin the next round of negotiations for the union contract and wage adjustments. On Tuesday, the supervisors acknowledged receipt of the union’s initial proposal, which was based on a review conducted last year to ensure the Carroll County Ambulance Service’s recruitment and retention goals are met. The association’s opening proposal includes a $0.75 per hour increase to each level of the agency’s stepped-pay scale, upping on-call pay to half of regular duty pay and adding clarifying language to the overtime pay regulations. The supervisors have not yet provided their counterproposal, but District 3 Supervisor Gene Meiners says they will meet soon to prepare it.
Board Chair Stephanie Hausman stresses the supervisors have yet to formally approve any contract adjustments at this time. County officials will present their offer to the association’s representatives once the board has met in closed session. Formal negotiations are scheduled to begin on Jan. 16. An agreement is expected to be reached by March 1 to be incorporated into the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget.
