Yavapai County Board of Supervisors will receive a salary boost at the beginning of the year, but it’s not an 84 percent increase.
By Trista Steers
Larson Newspapers
Yavapai County Board of Supervisors will receive a salary boost at the beginning of the year, but it’s not an 84 percent increase.
The county’s 2008 Annual Report shows an 84 percent increase in the supervisors’ permanent salaries budget from fiscal year 2007-08 to FY 2008-09. However, the 84 percent isn’t solely for the supervisors.
Arizona State Statute approved by the Arizona State Legislature does require counties to give supervisors in counties with fewer than 500,000 a 13-percent raise, according to County Administrator Julie Ayers. Supervisors’ salaries will be increased from $56,500 to $63,800 per year.
{loadposition mainbody}The remaining 71 percent increase covers supervisor staff salaries moved from the General Services Fund, Ayers said.
Dave Hunt, assistant administrator and legal council to the board, said four to five employee salaries were shifted to the board’s budget. There are now at least 10 county staff members paid from the $846,725 fund. All salaries shifted to the fund were already in the budget. No new positions were created.
Raises for elected county officials are determined at a state level. The Arizona Commission on Salaries for Elected State Officials makes recommendations to the governor who in turn makes a recommendation to the Legislature. The Legislature then determines the increase to be included in state statute.
“Once it’s in statutes, we don’t have a choice,” Ayers said.
Supervisors aren’t the only officials anticipating a raise. All elected officials in the county — attorney, assessor, recorder, sheriff, superintendent of schools and treasure — will see their salaries rise as of Thursday, Jan. 1, determined by the statute.
County Attorney Sheila Polk’s salary increases from $109,450 to $123,678; Sheriff Steve Waugh’s salary increases from $89,225 to $100,824; and Assessor Victor Hambrick, Recorder Ana Wayman-Trujillo, Schools Superintendent Tim Carter and Treasurer Ross Jacobs all receive salary increases from $56,500 to $63,800.
District 3 Supervisor Chip Davis was on vacation and could not be reached for comment.
