Harford County Executive Barry Glassman proposed a budget Monday that calls for pay raises for county employees while maintaining the county’s property and income tax rates.

The $692 million operating budget package is about $37 million higher than the spending plan for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

Glassman’s plan would allow 4 percent merit-based salary increases for eligible county employees, with a similar raise for Harford County Public Library employees and civilian workers in agencies including the sheriff’s office, state’s attorney’s office, the Circuit Court system and the Harford County Volunteer Fire & EMS Foundation.

Glassman, a Republican, said in recent years the county has realized savings by “rightsizing” its workforce — 122 positions have been eliminated since he took office in December 2014 — and that those savings as well as “living within our means” have given the county money it can use for salary increases.

“But for our salary increases, spending is still very flat,” he said.

The county would send $238.7 million to Harford County public schools’ operating budget — an increase from last year, but less than the $251.6 million the school system requested from the county. Superintendent Barbara Canavan and the school board had said they planned to use part of their request for employee salary increases.

Glassman said his proposal includes $5 million for increasing teacher salaries but acknowledged he wasn’t fully funding the board’s request. He said the school system must address staffing and bring it in line with declining student enrollment.

“I am kind of putting a little pressure on them,” he said. “Anything they want new, they’re going to have to do through savings.”

Harford public schools were closed Monday and officials were not available for comment.

Glassman proposes fully funding Harford Community College’s request for $850,000 in local funding.

Other aspects of the executive’s proposal include increased funding for programs aimed at prevention of heroin addiction and support services for addicts; $4.6 million for the Agricultural Land Preservation Program; and creation of a Ladies’ Auxiliary Service Program to provide a stipend to support women 70 and older who have worked in fire companies’ auxiliaries.

daanderson@baltsun.com