By Brian Wright | TriValley Central
The Pinal County Board of Supervisors has reversed its decision to make fewer Sheriff’s Office jobs merit-protected in the face of legal action that could force a pay increase.
It was an unconventional move but one the board felt was necessary. It reversed a vote it made in February to change the status of 16 lieutenants and one director in the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office from merit-protected to at-will.
Wednesday’s vote rescinded the original vote and returned all those employees to merit-protected status.
When the item was voted on in February, Sheriff Paul Babeu initially requested an increase in pay totaling $32,000 to go along with the change in status. After the supervisors showed little support for a pay increase, Babeu took the monetary request out of the equation and said he would be fine with the board’s approving just the status changes. That passed 3-2.
