Johnson makes pay raise pitch for Prince George's workers

Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) has proposed giving county employees a 2 percent pay increase beginning in January, using savings he says the county has amassed so far this year.

The cost-of-living increase was proposed by Johnson as one of several bills the executive has asked the council to take up before his term ends. Johnson and five of the nine council members are leaving office at the end of the year due to term limits.

The pay raises would apply to most of the roughly 5,900 county employees, including police and firefighters. The raise would not apply to employees in the county's school system, which laid off about 300 workers this year and required teachers and staff to take furloughs due to budget cuts.