Despite hiring freezes and plans to eliminate 225 jobs in Montgomery County’s government and education system, county leaders have approved adding a driver/bodyguard to the county executive’s security detail.
Since the county is facing a $297 million budget shortfall, most county agencies have responded by freezing hiring. County Executive Ike Leggett himself also instituted a freeze in January on filling about 1,000 vacant county positions, citing the county’s budget difficulties.
Despite the hiring freeze, the county is still recruiting for 30 select positions, including a “special police officer” position to provide personal protection for Leggett.
“There has been a determination that there is a compelling need to fill this position,” Leggett’s spokesman, Patrick Lacefield said.
The job announcement says the position will pay between $50,000 and $80,000 a year and comes at a time when Leggett is being scrutinized for authorizing the construction of a private bathroom in his offices that costs $65,000, which his spokesman has defended on security grounds.
Lacefield would not give specific details about the number of security personnel who travel with Leggett or if Leggett had ever received any threats, citing security concerns. He said the county retains former federal and state law enforcement officers to protect Leggett and spends about $4.5 million a year for security purposes, which include protection of county buildings as well as Leggett.
Prince George’s County and Baltimore City also provide protection for their top officials.
Officials with Fairfax County said the county provides no protection or drivers for Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Gerry Connolly, their top elected official.
“Different counties assess their needs in different ways,” Lacefield said. “People might say, ‘Hey, you’re not the Dalai Lama.’ But somebody once said all politics are local – and we’re dealing with issues like transportation, education, taxes, immigration and transgender rights that people get pretty passionate about.”
Former Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan confirmed that the county began providing regular security detail for the county executive after the sniper shootings occurred during his term.
“It is advisable with the climate we have today,” Duncan said. “There were a few times I did receive threats.”
