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The Montgomery County Council needs better information on the cost of the legislation it considers, according to Councilman Michael J. Knapp.

He highlighted a recent dispute over a plan to give county employees two to three days of additional paid leave in lieu of a pay raise. County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) says the vacation time would cost taxpayers nothing, but the county's Office of Legislative Oversight says the cost could be $7 million.

On Tuesday, the council introduced a bill sponsored by Knapp (D-Dist.2) of Germantown that would establish certain guidelines for fiscal notes provided by Leggett's office.

Under the bill, supported by the entire council, the county code would be amended to require that fiscal notes accompany bills. The fiscal notes would have to include an estimated cost of the legislation, the estimated staff time needed to implement the bill, an explanation of how new staff responsibilities would affect their other work, and any other information that could affect employee productivity or overall cost to the county budget.

Under the current practice, fiscal notes vary in clarity and detail, according to a recent report from the county's Office of Legislative Oversight.

The current requirement to prepare fiscal impact statements for legislation is in the Montgomery County Plain Language Drafting Manual, a little-known, 25-year-old document with limited legal authority, the OLO report states. Knapp's bill would place the requirement in the county code.

On Tuesday, the council also introduced a bill sponsored by Knapp that would require a similar economic impact statement — detailing the effect of legislation on the county's economy.

Public hearings on both bills are scheduled for Sept. 21.

Knapp said Tuesday that both bills will help the council make better decisions.

However, county spokesman Patrick K. Lacefield says neither bill would change the way Leggett's office researches and prepares fiscal notes.

Leggett's office provides accurate and professional fiscal notes, he said, adding that Leggett does not have "any big problem" with the legislation.

"Our view is that in looking at it, it didn't seem to promote any big changes in the way we do things," he said. "I don't think it will change the way we do business very much."

County Councilwoman Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring said concerns over the accuracy of Leggett's fiscal notes might demonstrate the need for the council to have its own financial experts to investigate the cost of legislation.

"Part of our difficulty as we receive things from the county executive is we have to question in a very short order what we've been sent and whether the information is even accurate," Ervin said.

While the council is on recess through mid-September, Knapp said he hopes to develop some recommendations for how the council could use existing resources — not new staff — to process additional financial information.