Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett's plan to grant nearly 9,000 employees more time off next year would cost about $7 million, a new report shows -- contradicting claims the move would cost nothing.

The county's Office of Legislative Oversight attributes the cost to the lost work time and backlog of leave days that would result from 48 additional hours off for firefighters and 26 extra hours away from the office next year for police officers and general government employees.

The county would lose out on nearly 250,000 work hours, or the equivalent of about 120 employees annually, if workers used all the leave time, according to the report. The time off was part of the negotiations with unions approved recently by Leggett.

County Council members have largely balked at the arrangement, however, saying they can ill-afford to give employees more time off while asking residents to pay about $250 more in taxes this year. Even council members with a long history of union support are joining the chorus of dissent.

"We have already asked county taxpayers to foot a bigger bill," Council President Nancy Floreen told The Washington Examiner Monday. "I don't see how we can afford this."

More time off: The cost and lost work »  International Association of Fire Fighters: $1.15 million or 19 work years »  Fraternal Order of Police: $750,000 or 13 work years »  Municipal and County Government Employees Organization (and non-represented): $5.03 million or 85 work years Total: 6.93 million or 117 work years Source: Montgomery County Office of Legislative Oversight

A council committee was scheduled to review the union arrangements Monday, but the meeting was canceled at the last minute, when Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg said officials were waiting for a county attorney's report regarding a "difference of opinion about what the council needs to act on."

More time off: The cost and lost work »  International Association of Fire Fighters: $1.15 million or 19 work years »  Fraternal Order of Police: $750,000 or 13 work years »  Municipal and County Government Employees Organization (and non-represented): $5.03 million or 85 work years Total: 6.93 million or 117 work years Source: Montgomery County Office of Legislative Oversight

A council committee was scheduled to review the union arrangements Monday, but the meeting was canceled at the last minute, when Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg said officials were waiting for a county attorney's report regarding a "difference of opinion about what the council needs to act on." Since the deal doesn't require new funding, supporters have argued that the council doesn't need to sign off on the leave time.

"It's a zero-cost item," said Walt Bader, chief negotiator for the Fraternal Order of Police. "It doesn't require their approval."

Patrick Lacefield, Leggett's spokesman, added that the report calculated the "economic value of the hours, not the cost," also pointing to a lack of fiscal impact.

If granted, the time off would come while the county examines new models for worker efficiency. CountyStat, Montgomery's oversight program, found that a 1 percent increase in worker availability would net the equivalent of nearly 100 additional workers.