Cochise supervisors: constable pay must wait until next election cycle; staff to include salary in FY2027 budget

The Cochise County Board of Supervisors heard March 25 that county rules and the Arizona Constitution prevent an immediate pay increase for elected constables, leaving Benson Constable John Drummond effectively paid $1 per month until any new salary can take effect in January 2027.

County staff briefed the board on how constable pay is set and why Benson and Wilcox constables have received minimal pay since taking office in January 2023. Deputy County Attorney Dylan Hendel told the board that, under the Arizona Constitution and the county’s reading of state statute, an elected official cannot receive a midterm salary change and any adjustment would not take effect until the January following the next general election. “According to the Arizona Constitution, an elected official cannot receive a salary change mid term. It can only go into effect at the start of their midterm,” Hendel said.

That legal constraint leaves constable pay tied to a two-part statutory formula staff described to the board: first, average documents served over four years (tiered at under or over 100 documents per…