County Executive Kenneth Ulman will donate his salary increase this year -- roughly $7,000 -- to charity, he said this week.

Council members and the executive receive increases each December based on the consumer price index, which this year translates into a 4.9 percent raise, according to Sheila Tolliver, council administrator. Council members' salaries will rise from $51,421 to $53,892, except for the chairperson, who receives an extra $1,000.

Ulman's pay increases from $151,263 to $158,675 and he said he plans to create a family donor fund through the Columbia Foundation before the end of the year. His family would then direct money from the fund to various causes and contribute to it each year, he said.

After recent news reports about the $3,700 pay raise for Mayor Sheila Dixon in Baltimore, Ulman, a Democrat, said he decided to publicly state his plans. He said he understands there is more scrutiny of his salary this year in light of the poor state of the economy and the expected tight county budget for next year.

Giving the money back was not an option, though, as state law bars elected officials from setting their own salaries and council members cannot change their salaries during their current terms, Tolliver said in an e-mail. This includes decreases as well as increases.

Council member Greg Fox, a Republican, said he also did not intend to make his contributions public but decided to after getting calls from reporters. He will contribute his additional income this year to the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, the Domestic Violence Center and the Howard Hospital Foundation after learning he could not give back the raise.

Council members Courtney Watson and Calvin Ball, both Democrats, declined to link their salary increases directly to their charitable giving, but both said they give to charity throughout the year.

Council Chairwoman Mary Kay Sigaty and council member Jennifer Terrasa, also Democrats, could not be reached for comment.

-- Derek Simmonsen

Ellicott City man cited for negligent hunting

Maryland Natural Resources police have cited an Ellicott City man for negligent hunting relating to the bullet that struck a Clarksville day care center Dec. 10.

Richard V. Hoenes, Jr. 41, of Ellicott City, was charged Dec. 15 with negligent hunting and failure to report harvest of deer within 24 hours, according to Sgt. Ken Turner of the Maryland Natural Resources Police.

The charges relate to Dec. 10 when Howard County police said a stray slug from a hunter's shotgun shattered the front window of Kids Time Out day care center on Route 108 in Clarksville. No one was injured in the shooting, which Howard County police said they believe was accidental.

Turner said that when Hoenes fired his gun he failed to take into account the day care center in his line of fire and so failed to obey a basic rule of hunting, which is "you identify not only your target but what is what beyond the target."

Hoenes faces up to $1,500 on each citation if convicted, Turner added. Hoenes is scheduled to be tried on both counts Jan. 22 in Howard County District Court, Turner said.

At the time of the shooting, there were six children, two workers and one parent in the facility, police said.

Following the shooting County Executive Kenneth Ulman announced that he wants to lengthen the distance that hunters, or anyone else, must be from buildings before they can shoot.

Currently, Howard County law stipulates that a gun cannot be fired within 150 yards of a building, except by the building's owner or occupant. Police believe that the shot was fired from 277 yards away, according to Ulman's statement.

-- Derek Simmonsen and Jennifer Broadwater

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