Rules make members powerless in dispute over extra time off The Montgomery County Council vowed to kill the county's union-contract laws after learning the laws make them powerless over County Executive Ike Leggett's plan to grant thousands of government employees extra time off next year.

The council rejected the extra paid leave in May, citing concerns over soaring costs and a likely decline in productivity.

But Leggett approved the time off anyway, granting 26 additional hours in paid leave to general government employees and police officers and 48 additional hours to firefighters.

"At the very least, the law needs to be changed to ensure this doesn't happen again, and I think the council should look at other alternatives as well in the fall," said Councilman Phil Andrews, D-Gaithersburg/Rockville. "We really need to make sure this situation doesn't happen again."

Council OKs Purple Line changes The County Council approved changes to the Purple Line, a 16-mile light rail line from the New Carrollton Metro station to Bethesda. Changes include: »  A double-track rail line between downtown Bethesda and Langley Park. The previous plan featured a single-track line between Bethesda and Silver Spring. »  New station locations east of Silver Spring. »  New access points to the Georgetown Branch/Capital Crescent Trail.Ê

Montgomery's collective-bargaining laws impose a nine-day negotiation period for parties in disagreement. No compromise was reached after the council rejected union proposals for extra time off, so the disagreement entered an "off-cycle" stage. In that stage, the county executive has the power to approve the proposal as long as it doesn't require additional funds.

"The county executive is going to implement this compensatory leave and it's gonna happen whether the council adopts a resolution not approving it or rejecting it," said legislative attorney Robert Drummer.

"The county executive is going to implement this compensatory leave and it's gonna happen whether the council adopts a resolution not approving it or rejecting it," said legislative attorney Robert Drummer.

Councilman Roger Berliner, D-Bethesda, balked at the prospect of the county executive having such power.

"So you are saying this is a self-executing agreement?" Berliner asked acting County Attorney Marc Hansen. "And were the council to take up the resolutions and vote them down that action on our part would have no force of law?"

Berliner urged the council to re-examine the collective-bargaining law to avoid reducing council actions to a "legal nullity."

Drummer said the council has a number of legislative options, including a lawsuit.