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Committee advances bill letting sheriffs exempt command staff from county merit systems; public employees opposed
Summary
HB 3 35 would let elected sheriffs designate command-level positions (potentially down to lieutenant) as career-exempt; proponents say it preserves alignment between elected sheriffs and command staff, while the Utah Public Employees Association warned it would remove due-process protections for some public safety officers.
Representative Christopherson presented HB 3 35 as a targeted change allowing sheriffs to set which command-level positions are exempt from county merit systems. The sponsor said the proposal is optional for sheriffs and intended to strengthen executive accountability by aligning command staff with the sheriff’s policy direction while preserving merit protections for deputies and sergeants.
Sheriff Ryan Arden of Weber County testified that…
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