Cash-strapped Montgomery County adds six-figure wellness, innovation czars
...The wellness coordinator will oversee a program aimed at improving the physical and mental health of county employees. The appointee, who will report to Human Resources Director Joseph Adler, is slated to earn $110,000 in salary and benefits...
...Joan Fidler, president of the Montgomery County Taxpayers League, said the two positions make sense but the county should be integrating the job functions into existing positions rather than shelling out for new ones.Cato Institute budget analyst Tad DeHaven agreed. "It sounds like a waste of taxpayer money to me," he said.Most health insurance companies already offer wellness programs for employees, he said. And the chief innovation officer's job functions probably could be handled with existing staff."There's nothing inherently wrong with these things," he said. "It's just that I'm sure it could be handled by the bodies that they already have."The County Council approved the $4.6 billion budget for fiscal 2013 on Thursday.
I find this ironic in light of the fact that another county agency, Department of Transportation, is planning to eliminate its Bicycle Coordinator position. Coordinating the improvement and expansion of cycling throughout the County also contributes to wellness. Would rather have the Bicycle Coordinator. See WABA letter to members: https://hq-salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/451/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1246976
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