O'Malley Offers $15K Buyouts To State Employees
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Maryland's governor is offering buyouts to executive branch employees in a bid to cut the size of state government.
The executive order signed Tuesday by Gov. Martin O'Malley offers $15,000 plus $200 for each year of service and three months of medical, prescription and dental benefits to select employees.
Those accepted can't rejoin state government for 18 months.
The governor's office did not say how many of the state's 79,000 employees would be eligible for the buyout.
O'Malley said in a statement that the state continue to face significant budget challenges and needs to cut costs. The governor's office said eligible employees have until Jan. 4 to apply.
Maryland's budget gap is about $1.6 billion for the next fiscal year, state budget analysts warned lawmakers last month.
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