By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The county is reviewing some of the pay rates for Pima County Sheriff’s Department employees, including deputies, corrections officers, and staff.
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On June 17, Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher ordered a “comprehensive review of shift differential and on-call compensation practices within the PCSD.”
The Pima County Board of Supervisors will discuss the review on Tuesday, June 23. They will meet in a study session at 3 p.m. and will host a regular meeting at 5 p.m.
13 News will be there to tell you what comes out of the discussions, but you can watch the meeting live at www.youtube.com/c/pimacountyarizona.
The move comes after years of complaints from union members and Sheriff Chris Nanos about the pay scale in the county.
For years, Sheriff Nanos has spoken out about the pay issues and how it makes it difficult to retain trained staff.
He has said that this leads to understaffing, which forces the department to pay more overtime to cover all the shifts and areas in the county.
That overtime has led the PCSD to go over its budget, which is one of several issues that have caused problems between Sheriff Nanos and the Board of Supervisors.
Nanos has also said his overall budget is just not big enough, considering he runs a large jail, how many people the department employs, and how large an area the department has to cover. He has also said inflation has caused budget issues of its own.
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On Friday, June 19, the Pima County Deputy Sheriff’s Association issued a release and said it supports the review “as a meaningful step forward — one that reflects months of sustained, professional engagement on behalf of PCSD members.”
The PCDSA said the PCSD’s on-call rate and shift differential rates are “well below” the regional average. They said some agencies pay double or triple what Pima County does.
Currently, the PCSD’s on-call rate is $1.30 per hour, and the shift differential rates are 60 cents for evenings and 65 cents for nights. The PCDSA has asked for an on-call rate of $2.25, an evening shift differential of $1.50, and a night shift differential of $2.
The shift differential is paid on top of what the employee makes. The on-call rate is paid regardless of whether the employee is actually called in.
Nanos said not all employees are eligible for the on-call rate, but the on-call staff must be available by phone and be able to arrive at work or a crime scene within an hour of being called.
“The men and women of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department work nights, weekends, and holidays — often on-call with no real off switch. Their compensation should reflect that reality,” the PCDSA said in a release. “We are grateful that County Administrator Lesher and the Sheriff have taken this matter seriously, and we look forward to seeing this review result in meaningful improvements for our members.”
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