Members of the Montgomery County Salary Board are pictured during a Dec. 18, 2025 meeting. Pictured, from left, are Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairwoman Jamila Winder, Chairman Neil Makhija, Commissioner Tom DiBello, and Montgomery County Controller Robert Hart. (Rachel Ravina – MediaNews Group)
Hundreds of Montgomery County government employees will soon see a higher paycheck after officials authorized a raise for 2026.
The Montgomery County Salary Board unanimously approved the 3 percent wage increase for “non-represented employees” and a 2 percent increase for elected officials on Dec. 18 during the final salary board meeting of the year.
Montgomery County employs nearly 3,000 people.
“There’s a cost-of-living increase, which is included in the 2026 budget that was approved for all qualified full-time and part-time employees,” said Anthony Brew, Montgomery County’s chief human resources officer.
The Montgomery County Commissioners adopted a $632.7 million operating budget for 2026, which included a 4-percent property tax increase earlier this month.
Montgomery County Chief Human Resources Officer Anthony Brew gives a...
In a budget presentation back in November, Montgomery Chief Financial Officer Dean Dortone identified personnel as one of several “major cost drivers,” with $19 million as a line item for health care and related benefits.
Ambler resident David Morgan raised concerns over the high expenses incurred with the budget process. Calling for more transparency, he urged officials to undertake a “good evaluation” to keep area residents abreast of “the cost of all these new positions” included in the budget. Morgan acknowledged that “some are funded by federal money, and better than state money, but those we have to take as a tax burden. That’s where I have a concern.”
Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello assured Morgan that the position he referred to was grant-funded.
Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairwoman Jamila Winder also underscored the value of the county workforce as the “talent” and “lifeblood of our organization."
“I’m really proud of the investments that we’re making across the board to ensure that Montgomery County continues to be a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Winder said earlier this month.
