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Pinal County supervisors are delaying their vote until next month on the controversial reclassification plan of Sheriff Paul Babeu (bab-YOO).
The plan would increase his hiring and firing authority by reclassifying lieutenants and captains as at-will employees.
If supervisors approved the plan Wednesday, eight lieutenants in patrol and investigations, seven lieutenants in the jail and one director would lose the right to appeal any disciplinary actions before the county’s merit board.
The Arizona Republic says at-will employees can be terminated at any time without cause.
Babeu claims at-will employees are more invested in their work and in carrying out the office’s mission than are merit employees.
Merit employees include deputies who patrol the streets and staff the jails.
The sheriff shouid be turned into an “at will” employee and be accountable to the taxpayers for the money he wastes. Arizona does not need another tyrant sheriff, where there is one set of laws for everyone else and none for the county sheriff.