Bel Air Police Association, IUPA Local 229

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Bel Air Police Association, IUPA Local 229 Union representing active and retired Bel Air Police Officers and their families

Healthcare cuts + a 2.9% COLA = A net pay decrease for Bel Air’s Police, DPW, and Admin workers. 📉Paula Etting and Jake ...
06/16/2026

Healthcare cuts + a 2.9% COLA = A net pay decrease for Bel Air’s Police, DPW, and Admin workers. 📉

Paula Etting and Jake Taylor voted for this. On June 23rd, hold them accountable.

🗳️ NO on Paula Etting for County Council
🗳️ NO on Jake Taylor for State Delegate

This post is sponsored by the Bel Air Police Association. We are not affiliated with any political candidates or campaigns.

05/19/2026

Well, we lost this round. Last night, Bel Air’s Board of Town Commissioners voted unanimously to slash our healthcare benefits and pass a meager 2.9% “cost of living adjustment.”

They may have passed their budget, but the Town’s deep issues with recruitment, retention, and a crushing reliance on overtime aren’t going anywhere.

Neither are we.

We’re back at work today with our heads held high. Our professionalism and commitment to everyone that lives, works, or visit Bel Air will not dip. But make no mistake: we will not let up on the pressure for Bel Air to get this right. We don’t make “threats”. We follow through on our principles.

A massive thank you to the members of the public who came out to speak tonight (including Jessica Hammond), and to everyone who called, texted, and posted their support. Your backing means everything.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

Mayor Paula Etting – [email protected] (Running for County Council)
Commissioner Jake Taylor – [email protected] (Running for State Delegate)
Commissioner Steven Chizmar – [email protected]
Commissioner Kristien Foss – [email protected]
Commissioner Gavin Hanley – [email protected]

05/15/2026

BEL AIR TOWN MEETING – MAY 18, 2026 7PM!

We need your voices and your presence! We’ll be at the Town Meeting this coming Monday, and we would love to see as many of our supporters in the room.

When: May 18, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Where: 39 N. Hickory Ave, Bel Air, MD, 21014

The Commissioners are expected to hold the final budget vote that night. This is the moment where our hard work meets the finish line, and having you there makes a massive difference.

Whether you can stay for the whole meeting or just pop in to show your support, let’s show the Commissioners how important pay and benefits for our cops, DPW workers, and Town employees are.

Will we see you there? Let us know in the comments!

This is why we are fighting for a 4% cost of living adjustment. We have a bunch of good young cops that we don't want to...
05/13/2026

This is why we are fighting for a 4% cost of living adjustment. We have a bunch of good young cops that we don't want to see leave for other departments. Bel Air and its taxpayers have invested too much for the Board of Town Commissioners to rubber stamp a 2.9% "COLA" and keep their fingers crossed HCSO or Havre de Grace PD doesn't recruit them away.

This isn't a handout. It's responsible government.
Contact the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners.
"Step, 4% COLA, and keep healthcare the same. Protect Bel Air's investments."

Mayor Paula Etting – [email protected] (Running for County Council)
Commissioner Jake Taylor – [email protected] (Running for State Delegate)
Commissioner Steven Chizmar – [email protected]
Commissioner Kristien Foss – [email protected]
Commissioner Gavin Hanley – [email protected]

05/11/2026

Hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day. We appreciate the comments, feedback, and support.

To kick off this week let's talk about the "hidden tax" in Bel Air.

For over 15 years, the Town’s only budget balancing strategy has been to reach into the pockets of the people who keep our streets safe. Cutting healthcare and pay isn’t a new idea...it’s the only idea they have.

•2008 Financial Crisis: Merit steps frozen until 2014. Police pension contributions spiked to 11.6%.

•COVID-19: No merit steps given.

•2026 Healthcare Crisis: The town plans to slash healthcare benefits and is offering a COLA that doesn't keep up with inflation.

This was avoidable. Bel Air currently has the lowest property taxes in Harford County. Aberdeen and Havre de Grace both have higher property tax rates. What about outside Harford County? Westminster, MD is often used in comparison to Bel Air. They also pay more in property taxes. In fact, we couldn't find another municipality that pays less in property taxes than Bel Air.

The Board of Town Commissioners has indicated that new taxes aren't happening. The truth is, they only oppose taxing property owners. By refusing to adjust the budget, they are effectively taxing the Town’s employees by forcing them to take home less pay to cover their own benefits.

Low taxes are great—until they come at the expense of our Cops, DPW, and Admin staff. Even if you aren't concerned for Town employees, relying solely on annual budget cuts is haphazard governance that costs more than it saves.

Last year, we lost two young police officers with less than five years of service. To fill those gaps, the department has relied on expensive overtime. These new cuts disincentivize our remaining young officers from staying. Is this a risk Bel Air thinks is worth taking?

Please email the Commissioners. All you need to say is "Step! 4% COLA! Protect healthcare!".

Mayor Paula Etting – [email protected] (Running for County Council)
Commissioner Jake Taylor – [email protected] (Running for State Delegate)
Commissioner Steven Chizmar – [email protected]
Commissioner Kristien Foss – [email protected]
Commissioner Gavin Hanley – [email protected]

Is Bel Air PD falling behind? The numbers are in, and the gap is growing. To keep our community safe, we need the best o...
05/08/2026

Is Bel Air PD falling behind? The numbers are in, and the gap is growing. To keep our community safe, we need the best of the best—but right now, Bel Air is struggling to stay competitive with neighboring agencies.

Here is the reality our officers are facing:
Starting Behind: A new hire at BAPD starts over $4,200 below the regional average.
Losing Experience: By the 5-year mark, that gap doubles to nearly $9,000.
Falling Off the Map: For our senior leadership (25yr Sergeants), Bel Air is trailing other agencies by a staggering $21,500+ per year.

When agencies like the Harford County Sheriff’s Office offer significantly higher pay, lower pension contributions, and better healthcare for the same dangerous work, we risk losing our best cops.

If we want to continue attracting top-tier talent and keeping the experienced officers who know our streets and our families, it’s time to make BAPD competitive again. That’s why we are fighting for a retention-based merit step, 4% COLA, and the same healthcare we’ve had for years.

Our officers stand up for us every day. It’s time we stand up for them. Contact the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners. Urge them to make common sense decisions to help us retain our best officers and recruit new ones.

Mayor Paula Etting – [email protected] (Running for County Council)
Commissioner Jake Taylor – [email protected] (Running for State Delegate)
Commissioner Steven Chizmar – [email protected]
Commissioner Kristien Foss – [email protected]
Commissioner Gavin Hanley – [email protected]

Make sure to check out the numbers and charts in the photos.

05/07/2026

Bel Air’s Heroes Deserve Better Than a $5 Raise.

Bel Air is a great town because of the men and women in DPW, the Police Department, and the Admin staff. But right now, a new proposal is threatening our livelihoods.

While the Town claims we’re getting a “raise”, the fine print tells a different story. For a newer officer on a family healthcare plan, rising health insurance premiums and HSA cuts will swallow nearly 93% of their “raise”.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Burden on Bel Air Employees 📊

2.9%: The proposed COLA (while inflation sits at 3.3%).

$1670: The yearly premium for a family plan.

92.7%: How much of a new officer's raise is swallowed by insurance costs.

$5.00: The actual bi-weekly "raise" left over for new cops and other staff.

That isn't a raise; it’s a lateral move in a high inflation economy.

Bel Air deserves high-quality service. Our employees deserve better. Our citizens demand better. Retention Step, 4% COLA, and protect our healthcare!

Let’s keep Bel Air strong. Urge the Board to fix this!

Mayor Paula Etting – [email protected] (Running for County Council)
Commissioner Jake Taylor – [email protected] (Running for State Delegate)
Commissioner Steven Chizmar – [email protected]
Commissioner Kristien Foss – [email protected]
Commissioner Gavin Hanley – [email protected]

05/06/2026

As we posted yesterday, we don’t get traditional raises- we get COLAs (Cost of Living Adjustments). COLAs are supposed to keep our pay from losing value against inflation. They’re meant to keep us level. But in Bel Air, we aren't staying level, we’re falling behind.

Look at the numbers since 2021:
• Property values in town: Up 33%.
• The actual cost of living: Up 22%.
• The COLAs the Town provided: Only 17%.

That’s a 5% gap. Bel Air’s employees are effectively making less than they were four years ago, even though the town itself is wealthier than ever.

This year, the Commissioners are offering a 2.9% COLA. Inflation is at 3.3%. To make it worse, the new healthcare changes are going to eat up most of that 2.9% anyway.

When that happens, that’s money coming straight out of retirement accounts, college funds, and down payments on houses. The people who keep Bel Air running can’t afford to actually live here.

If you care about keeping good people working for Bel Air, let the Commissioners know. We shouldn't be leaving our workforce behind while the town is thriving.

Mayor Paula Etting – [email protected] (Running for County Council)
Commissioner Jake Taylor – [email protected] (Running for State Delegate)
Commissioner Steven Chizmar – [email protected]
Commissioner Kristien Foss – [email protected]
Commissioner Gavin Hanley – [email protected]

05/05/2026

We’ve all read that “Bel Air’s employees are getting a raise.”

There is a big difference between a pay raise and a merit step, and it’s time we stopped using the terms interchangeably.

Most government employees (Federal, State, and Local) work on a fixed pay scale. Here is how it actually works and why…

What is a “Merit Step”?
It’s a scheduled move upward on a pre-determined scale based on years of service. The employee isn't getting “more” for the same job. They are being moved to the rate assigned to their level of experience.

Why we use this system:
•Prevents Corruption: Fixed scales stop “cronyism.” A manager can’t give their friend a massive raise or punish someone they don't like by withholding pay. It keeps your tax dollars transparent.

•Encourages Loyalty: Public sector jobs often pay less than the private sector. The “step” system gives employees a predictable future, which keeps talent from leaving for higher-paying corporate roles.

•Budget Stability: Because these steps are planned years in advance, the government can budget for them with 100% accuracy.

The Bottom Line: A raise is an unexpected bonus or a change in the market value of a role. A step is simply the mechanical progression of a career path.

Stop letting the “raise” rhetoric distort the facts. Serving in Bel Air is built on transparency, not handouts.

Thanks for the continued support! We are doing our best to get back to everyone!

Address

39 N Hickory Ave
Bel Air, MD
21014

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