In a statement issued Sunday, Guy Djoken, president of the Frederick County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said County Commissioner Charles Jenkins' statements that the Frederick County Public Schools aren't showing a sense of fiscal responsibility were out of line.

County and schools officials could have discussed differences in what they pay their employees without resorting to accusations of fiscal irresponsibility, Djoken said.

The NAACP got involved because of the importance the group places on education, and because of the importance of keeping discussions of the education budget civilized, he said in a phone interview Monday.

"It is crucial that we, knowing how hard they work É support (the schools)," Djoken said. "When there's no funding, sometimes it's so easy to cut the budget of education and the NAACP believes very strongly that education is a priority even when times are difficult."

Jenkins said the NAACP was just latching on to an opportunity to cost taxpayers money.

"I'm laughing at the NAACP involvement," Jenkins said.

Thursday, Jenkins cited the school system's advertising to fill two accounting positions at salaries more than $20,000 greater than what comparable county employees receive as an example of the school system's fiscal irresponsibility.

Friday, schools Superintendent Linda Burgee responded to Jenkins' comments with a letter noting that, while the schools finance office oversees a larger budget than the county's, it has only nine accountants and finance managers with a total of $1.2 million in salary and fringe benefits, compared to the county finance office's 14 accountants and finance managers, with $1.5 million in salary and benefits.

"In short, FCPS managed $198.2 million more in expenditure than the county, handled more transactions and W-2 activity, and did it all with fewer employees and a smaller payroll," she wrote.

Jenkins said he'd put the county's workload up against the school system's, and that the county government deals with financial issues the school system doesn't, such as Medicaid, several enterprise funds and issuing bonds.

Regardless, the point that school system salaries are higher than the county government's, even though county government salaries are in line with those of Frederick County's neighbors, still stands, he said.

"I don't want to escalate into a war of words, but I do stand by my comments," Jenkins said.

The commissioners and school board are scheduled to meet March 17, and will discuss the salary disparities then, Jenkins said.

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