Pinal supervisors OK healthy pay raises for county employees

Pinal supervisors OK healthy pay raises for county employees

The Pinal County supervisors voted unanimously last week to approve a 6% across-the-board pay raise for county employees. The raises, effective Sept. 18, are a part of the county budget for fiscal year 2022-23.

The pay raise vote was part of the supervisors adopting the county budget, which was approved by a 4-1 vote. Supervisor Kevin Cavanaugh, who will represent the district that includes Maricopa beginning July 1, was the lone dissenting vote.

In addition to the raises, the county will pay a retention bonus of $1,750 to all its employees. The county said Friday the bonuses were awarded “recognizing the inflationary pressures that County employees are currently facing.” 

County management and budget director Angie Woods said the raises will cost the county about $6.6 million, and the retention incentive carries a price tag of about $2.6 million.

All county employees are eligible for the raise and incentive except elected officials, salaried officials (whose compensation is set by statute) and Pinal County Sheriff’s Office deputy and detention personnel (covered under a separate supervisors- authorized step plan).

In its fiscal year 2022-23 compensation plan, the county said the bonuses were necessary to “encourage critical recruitment and retention, be responsive to current inflationary challenges and the exceptionally tight labor market; promote internal equity based upon relevant qualifications and performance, and maintain consistency in the County’s market position among comparators so that the County continues to have the engaged, professional workforce needed to provide quality services to its residents.”