Coconino County managers recommend patrol pay-plan changes; supervisors signal support

Coconino County managers recommended adjustments to the sheriff's office patrol pay plan on May 16, proposing a higher entry wage, a change to step progression and an end to the law-enforcement new-hire incentive, a package the county manager said would cost about $600,000 to the general fund for fiscal 2026.

Why it matters: The sheriff's office told the Board the pay changes are aimed at recruiting and retaining deputies amid a competitive regional market, including larger pay at Flagstaff and other agencies, and supervisors said they wanted to get positions filled before adding head count.

County staff recommended increasing the patrol entry rate from about $28.25 to $31.41 per hour to make starting pay more competitive for job postings, and reallocating funds from the existing law-enforcement incentive program into base entry pay. Deputy County Manager Erica explained the tradeoff: rather than continue a multi-year incentive payout, the county would invest that money in higher starting pay because “new hires are looking for…entry number.”

The county also proposed changing how step increases apply to patrol employees: patrol staff would not advance a formal step this year (effectively pausing step progression) so the net cost of the package is roughly a 6 percent increase for patrol. By contrast, detention staff would receive a step increase (one step up in the detention pay plan). Human resources and the sheriff’s office told supervisors that the net design was intended to raise entry wages while keeping the plan affordable.

Sheriff Brett Axland told the board the sheriff's office supports the approach. “We are very much so in sync with our county manager’s office and our finance,” the sheriff said, adding the office’s priority is to fill open positions before adding new ones.

Board members pressed for scale and impact. Deputy County Manager Erica provided counts for filled positions at a point in time: about 83 detention staff and about 63 sworn patrol staff (these figures represent filled positions and do not include vacancies). County HR described the patrol change as consolidating and adjusting ranges to reach the higher entry rate and to keep the sheriff’s office “in the midrange” of the local market.

Supervisors voiced support for the recommendation but did not record a formal motion or vote during the session. Vice Chair Geronimo Vasquez said he was “in favor of the plan as presented,” and Chair Patrice Horstman said she was “in favor of the recommendation of the county manager’s office for the patrol compensation as well.” Several supervisors asked for later follow-up on how the changes affect retention and recruitment.

Background and costs: County staff reported the recommended patrol package is included in the county manager’s balanced-budget recommendation and estimated the general-fund cost at about $600,000 for FY 2026. Staff said the change was designed to be cost-effective by shifting dollars from the incentive program to base pay; the incentive program had provided staggered payouts designed to reduce mid-career attrition but was not producing the desired recruiting effect in the current market.

What’s next: Supervisors asked for continued monitoring and offered to revisit midyear if recruitment or market conditions change. No formal board action was recorded at the May 16 session; staff said the recommended pay-plan changes are part of the balanced-budget package scheduled for formal action in the budget adoption process.