Merit System Protection Board emphasizes limited scope and implicit-bias work as council reviews FY27 small increase

Council staff told the committee the County Executive’s FY27 recommended operating budget adds $18,622 (4.99%) for the Merit System Protection Board, driven by compensation adjustments and small operational increases. Staff recommended concurrence with the executive’s proposal and reported that ORESJ assigned MSPB a 7/11 rating for sustained commitment to racial equity and social justice.

The MSPB executive director described the board as a small, quasi‑judicial body with three members and a modest staff. "Our responsibilities are very limited, and it's quasi judicial board. We're not policymakers," the director said, adding that the board focuses on grievances and appeals and has incorporated implicit-bias components into audits and outreach.

The director also identified a small staff — the executive director and a part-time office services coordinator — and said MSPB will continue to work with the Office of Human Resources and ORESJ analysts to build on prior classification and compensation audit findings.

Council members congratulated MSPB on completing a racial equity plan and praised staff for implementing audit recommendations; the committee recorded no formal vote in the transcript during this session.

What’s next: Council staff recommended approval as presented; MSPB will continue implementation of past audit recommendations and further incorporate equity considerations into its audits and public-facing materials.