Doug Ducey was expected to approve it. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. In his last budget plan, Gov. The Arizona Board of Regents approved the University of Arizona's . It also eliminates the state equalization tax, a property tax for education, and backfills it with $330 million from the general fund. The bipartisanship extended to opposition a handful of conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats voted against the budget deal. "The pandemic has really made it apparent that what you get in terms of unemployment benefits often isn't enough to support you if you're out of work, especially when you think about a national public health crisis," said Rowan. But those salary adjustments aren't equal for all. This is what our state, where voters are nearly evenly divided by party affiliation, has long asked of us to work together, said Rep. Reginald Bolding of Laveen, the top Democrat in the House. For agencies, boards and commissions under the State Personnel System, the maximum number of annual leave hours an employee may carry over into a new calendar year is, hours for covered employees. About one-third of the top positions for Arizona state agencies received a boost in pay for 2015, with many of Governor Doug Ducey's new hires now getting paid substantially more than their . Doug Ducey wants to grant pay raises to nearly half of all state employees, with an emphasis on boosting salaries for law enforcement and corrections officers. Under the plan, DeSantis would exclusively use the Citation. A starting correctional officer earns just over $35,000 a year before the 20% premium pay. Simpson, the Senate president, is running for the post of Agriculture Commissioner later this year and the spending provision sought by his chamber would not take effect until January 2023, when he could potentially be in charge of the department. Doug Ducey wants to grant pay raises to nearly half of all state employees, with an emphasis on boosting salaries for law enforcement and corrections officers. But with inflation rising and many state agencies struggling to hire and keep employees, lawmakers have adapted to a new political reality. 2023-01-02. . This widespread removal of protections made possiblemass firings during the Ducey administration in a quest to shrink government. John Kennedy is a reporter in the USA TODAY Networks Florida Capital Bureau. With this budget, were putting those dollars to good use and investing in priorities that Republicans and Democrats alike can agree on.. The premium pay started flowing to 17,291 of the states approximately 35,000 workers on Nov. 27. The proposal also has $80 million in a salary reserve allowing. So the board chose a compromise: an 8.5-cent raise for the lowest paid workers, those making $35,000 or less. In another dramatic move, lawmakers dropped a House-backed $200 million redistribution of funds from 12 counties that defied Gov. Tiny majorities in both chambers meant opposition from a single Republican lawmaker was enough to sink the budget if Democrats were united in opposition. Ducey hailed the deal, saying his policies of limited spending and regulation cuts can be credited for the surplus, although massive federal COVID-19 relief money also was a major contributor. 1/. 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The agency has 448 vacancies out of nearly 2,300 approved positions and Ducey wants to spend $31 million a year on DPS raises alone, according to the governors office. Rowan has spent the last few months going through unemployment data from states, giving context to the problems we are seeing now. Ducey released a 'recovery-focused' budget for Fiscal Year 2022, and he plans in making investments in K-12 education, public health, public safety, wildfire prevention, infrastructure and more, while also providing tax relief to residents. The Parks and Revenue departments both gave select staff members significant pay raises after mass firings at both agencies. Job Titles with Pay Range | Department of Administration - Arizona Tuesday, November 8, 2022, is the General Election and all state government employees are encouraged to vote. U of A's $2.3 billion budget earmarks $51.5 million for employee raises. . 2023 www.azcentral.com. For. Pursuant to State laws and rules, state employees may receive paid leave in order to exercise their voting privileges under certain . The Arizona Legislature is rushing to pass a budget before the 2022 session ends in a few days on June 30, but some Republican legislators are balking at agreeing to vote for the 12 budget bills due to the amount of spending: $17.9 billion. I was told the choice is that bill or more investment in K-12 schools, and I chose our K-12 public schools.. The governors aides say business tax relief is justified based on data they say show that Arizona has the 10th highest industrial property tax rates in the nation. They apparently succeeded Tuesday, but still unclear in negotiations was whether teachers and staff in these districts would be eligible for the new school recognition awards. And even if that fails, GOP legislative leaders are planning a maneuver that effectively would quash a public vote by repealing last years version and reenacting something new and possibly different this year. Ron DeSantis ban on school mask mandates last year. Gov. Ducey signs state's $18 billion FY 2023 budget - KGUN Ducey appointee hands out big raises, bonuses. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Ducey gave to staff. The result is a booming economy with record revenues, Ducey said in a statement. May 4, 2022 PHOENIX Governor Doug Ducey today expressed appreciation and gratitude for state workers on Arizona State Employee Recognition Day, thanking them for their dedication to serving the residents of one of the fastest-growing states. State employees will get a raise, many for the first time in a decade. A salary increase with a chosen percent pay increase. Lawmakers in the House and Senate ended a months-long impasse, working through the night to approve the budget shortly before sunrise. Arizona Gov. Ducey quietly approves $95M in virus cash to boost pay for March 10, 2022. The average raise for a Ducey staffer was 11 percentsince he took office. KTARs Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives. Ron DeSantis spends big in $99.7 billion budget proposal. PHOENIX (AP) Arizonas legislature approved a bipartisan $18 billion spending plan early Thursday that will make substantial investments in public schools, build new highways and pay down long-term debts. Senate Bill 531 applies to teachers, school counselors, school service personnel and State Troopers. The budget also makes a $1.1 billion deposit into the pension fund for public safety and corrections officers, paying off the states unfunded liability for future retirement benefits. Cities and counties in Arizona are also struggling to fill positions because of low pay, and Ducey said in his state of the state address last week that his 15% pay hike would make troopers the best paid officers in the state. Rep. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, is proposing a further reduction in that flat tax, to $1.5 billion. But that $150 is less than Ducey wants to give schools that already have an A rating, up to an extra $429 per student for schools with a high number of children in poverty and $241 for those with fewer students in need. It creates a state version of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit that targets low-income households where someone is working and, in most cases, where there is a child. And it puts another $425 million in the rainy day fund to help the state weather a potential recession. This is really just getting on a soap box and vilifying immigrants and creating a political point, Quezada said. The budget also makes a $1.1 billion deposit into the pension fund for public safety and corrections officers, paying off the state's unfunded liability for future retirement benefits. Jeffrey Hawkins, president of the Arizona State Troopers Association, said the premium pay is sorely needed at the agency that not only patrols state highways but does investigations, runs a crime lab and does many other law enforcement jobs. state employees | Arizona Capitol Times The budget does have a specific sensitivity to how the COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted the shortage of nurses in the state. The employee pay raise bill got to the finish line with a $10,000 raise for State Troopers, up from the original $2,550 figure. Instead, a proposal that looked close to being accepted by the two sides would put the $200 million into a school recognition program that would reward faculty and staff in "highly productive" schools that excelled even amid the challenges of the pandemic. Kathryn Palmer. Note 1: Only available if the employee had no tax liability last year and does not expect to have any tax liability in the current year. The Republican governors office did not announce that he was using cash from President Joe Bidens American Rescue Plan Act to provide 20% pay boosts to the states corrections officers, 15% increases to state troopers and 10% increases to workers at the departments of child safety, economic security, juvenile corrections, transportation and health services.