As expected, the Baltimore County Council tonight passed Bill 63-26, which would backdate by a month a pension change for lawmakers, thereby negating the cash windfall that fell into the lap of Wade Kach when he announced his retirement on May 7.

The 78-year-old Third District councilman, who cited health issues as the reason for his departure, was due for a large pension boost – from $41,400 to $84,000 a year – under a 2024 bill he sponsored that tied a retired councilman’s pension to the future salaries of current lawmakers.

The “Pensiongate giveaway” that the council originally awarded itself sparked a public outcry.

Last week Democratic and Republican primary hopefuls denounced the arrangement as unethical and outrageous.

• See special Brew series: County Councilmen boost their pensions

Three members of the council – Julian E. Jones Jr., Izzy Patoka and Pat Young – are vying for county executive in the June 23 Democratic primary.

The new bill requires future changes to members’ pensions to be reviewed by the Personnel and Salary Advisory Board.

MAGA Mangione Replaces Kach

On Saturday, the District 3 Republican Central Committee – consisting of two voting members – elected state Delegate Nino Mangione to fill Kach’s term through November 2026.

The 38-year-old former radio host is from a well-known developer family and has said President Donald Trump is the person he admires most in the world.

The appointment gives him a jump on winning the 3rd District in November, keeping the seat in Republican hands.

Today he resigned from his state delegate post, and tonight was sworn in as the seventh member of the council at their newly renovated chambers.

He said public safety and doing what’s best for taxpayers are key issues for him.

The 3rd District's new councilman, Nino Mangione, voted in by two Republican Party members at a Saturday party caucus. (WMAR)

The 3rd District’s new councilman, ex-state Delegate Nino Mangione. (WMAR)