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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 last week 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.

Education budgets are set by the school board and state, leaving the county unable to give raises to those workers, said John Erzen, Johnson's spokesman.

The pay increase would start Jan. 2, costing the county $12 million next year.

"It has been a difficult period, in very tight economic times," Erzen said. "We just wanted to give them a little relief."

The raises would be the first in two years for county employees. In fiscal 2009 and 2010, Johnson drew protests from unions for forcing all county employees to take 10 days of unpaid leave to balance deficits.

Furloughs were canceled this fiscal year after the state changed income tax rules that provided the county with a boost of $18 million, helping to balance the county's $2.6 billion budget.

Erzen said the county's strong fiscal management enabled it to provide the pay increase.

The proposal raised questions from David Cahn, an education activist in Prince George's County.

"So are we fully funding education now? Why would we give raises to workers while we are still furloughing teachers and laying off?" Cahn said. "Where did this money come from?"

Erzen said the $6 million needed to cover raises this fiscal year, which ends June 30, will come from savings across the county's operations from the first half of this fiscal year. He declined to comment on the timing of the increases, which come in Johnson's final months of office.

"This shows that we've had very strong, sound fiscal policy," he said. "It's paid off."

County Council members did not respond to requests for comment on the proposal. Under the county charter, the raises will take effect if the council does not reject them by Nov. 2.

Johnson steps down in early December, one month before the raises would take effect. He is likely to be replaced by Rushern L. Baker III, who won the county's Democratic primary election and faces no opposition in the general election.

During the campaign, Baker was a chief critic of the furloughs, which he said have endangered the county's gains on education and public safety. He has pledged not to furlough teachers, police or firefighters if elected.

Baker spokesman James Adams said the transition team was familiar with the proposed pay increases, but said the incoming executive had no comment.

"We are reserving comment on Jack Johnson's last days," Adams said. "We're concentrating on bringing renewed energy and spirit to the county when we take office."

dvalentine@gazette.net