Wage hikes slow county’s ‘brain drain’
by Mark Cowling | Florence Reminder & Blade Tribune
The Pinal County Board of Supervisors approved a new annual budget of more than $512 million Wednesday, including a last-minute payment of $20,000 to help keep the Hayden Senior Center open.
The new budget is an increase of more than $60 million from the current one, mostly due to future capital projects. The county spends 63 percent of its General Fund on law enforcement, 25 percent on general government and 11 percent on health.
The budget includes a 2 percent wage increase in the second quarter for employees who meet expectations and a 2 percent adjustment to update the county’s salary schedule beginning in the third quarter. There will be no increase to what employees pay for medical benefits.
