County attorney requests $48,660 to reclassify civil deputy positions to improve retention

Cochise County Attorney Lori Zuko asked the Board of Supervisors for $48,660 to support a reclassification and market‑adjustment for civil deputy attorneys so the county can better compete for and retain experienced civil lawyers.

Zuko, the county’s elected county attorney, told the work session the county currently groups civil and criminal attorneys together in the HR classifications (Attorney I–V) despite market differences. "Civil attorneys are a different animal — apples and oranges from criminal attorneys," she said, arguing the market for civil attorneys is stronger and that the county loses staff to neighboring counties and private firms.

Why it matters: Zuko gave concrete recruitment examples — several civil deputies left for positions in Yavapai and Pinal counties with significantly higher pay — and said some hires required creative internal funding moves. She said one deputy accepted a roughly $58,000 pay cut to join the county, underscoring recruitment difficulties in the rural market.

The request and rationale: Zuko asked the board to fund the upfront cost of reclassifying civil deputies and applying new market steps that better reflect private‑practice and peer government pay. The $48,660 figure is the funding portion she requested to begin the reclassification process and associated market adjustments.

Board discussion: Supervisors and staff debated HR’s current market methodology (five‑county median comparisons and a one‑year data lag). The county administrator and board members encouraged exploring a comprehensive market study and agreed the county must weigh market adjustments against budget constraints; no formal vote occurred at the session.

Next steps: Zuko and the budget director said salary adjustments and funding requests will be included in the county’s mid‑May budget work sessions for further review.