FY 2027 PERFORMANCE-BASED RETENTION PAY PLAN.PDF

Maricopa County FY 2027 Performance-Based Retention Pay Plan 
 
 
  Initiating Department: Human Resources 
 
  Board of Supervisor’s Approval Date: 6/24/2026 
 
 
 
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I. PURPOSE 
This discretionary plan enhances retention and incentivizes employees’ performance. 
II. APPLICABILITY 
This plan applies to the County’s elected offices, appointed departments, the Flood Control District, the 
Library District, and the Judicial Branch of Maricopa County, which receives performance-based funding 
from Maricopa County (collectively referred to as “Departments”). This plan does not apply to the County’s 
Elected Officials or their statutory Chief Deputies. 
III. PLAN 
A. Departments have two tools to address their recruitment and retention issues: 
1. Performance-Based Retention Increases: Higher performers earn more than employees 
who successfully perform their jobs. 
2. Critical Recruitment and Retention Increases: Addresses pay issues that impact the 
retention of high performers or the recruitment of difficult-to-fill vacancies. 
B. Performance-Based Retention Increase Eligibility Criteria 
1. Full or part-time classified, contract, or unclassified employees as of 6/30/2026. 
2. Continuously employed by one or more departments for at least one year as of 6/30/2027. 
3. Must currently perform their job successfully and have a performance evaluation rating of 
“successful” (or equivalent) or higher on a FY 2026 or FY 2027 performance appraisal. 
• 
Departments with employees on leave who do not have current performance 
appraisals should contact Employee Compensation. 
4. Employees who were promoted, transferred, or voluntarily demoted are eligible if they meet 
the other criteria. 
5. Ineligible: Employees involuntarily demoted for disciplinary reasons on or after 7/1/2025 or 
employees who terminate before 7/20/2026. As this is a retention increase, departments 
may withhold it from employees who have given notice and whose last day will be after 
7/20/2026. 
C. Critical Recruitment and Retention Increase Eligibility Criteria 
1. Full or part-time classified, contract, or unclassified employees as of 6/30/2026. 
2. May be given to employees who have not been continuously employed by one or more 
departments for at least 1 year, provided they are successfully performing their jobs.

Maricopa County FY 2026 Performance-based Retention Pay Plan 
 
 
 
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3. Employees who, under this plan, receive a critical recruitment and retention increase prior 
to their year of continuous employment are not eligible for another increase when they reach 
one year of employment, as they received their increase early. 
D. Funding 
1. Up to $26,934,947 General Fund, $9,045,184 Detention Fund, and $9,983,574 Special 
Revenue. 
2. The Office of Budget and Finance will submit an agenda to the Board of Supervisors to 
adjust appropriations as necessary. Special revenue funds should pay for their awards 
where allowed. One-time funding will be appropriated for lump-sum payments. Funding for 
midyear increases is based on their effective date and departments’ budget capacity. FY 
2028 budget baselines will incorporate adjustments necessary to annualize midyear 
increases and will remove funding for one-time lump-sum payments. 
E. Effective Date 
1. Performance-based Retention Increases: 
a) 7/6/2026: Employees employed continuously for at least one year as of 7/6/2026. 
b) Beginning of the Next Pay Period after Eligibility Date: Employees who become 
eligible between 7/7/2026 and 6/20/2027. 
c) 6/21/2027: Employees eligible between 6/21/2027 and 6/30/2027. 
2. Critical Recruitment and Retention Increases: For employees receiving critical recruitment 
and retention increases under this plan, effective dates will be at the beginning of the next 
pay period after concurrence of their plan from County Human Resources. 
IV. IMPLEMENTATION 
A. Departments will receive spreadsheets for calculating increases and should verify that all eligible 
employees are included and that employee-level information is correct. 
B. Increases can be given as a percentage of base pay or an hourly dollar amount. 
C. One-time lump sums may be offered to employees at or above their range maximum or as 
authorized by the Appointing Authority. 
D. Departments that vary increases for similarly situated employees with the same performance 
rating need to explain their strategy and how fair and legally defensible practices were followed. 
E. Departments may not take performance-based pay from employees who may or have received a 
recent market adjustment implemented within the last year to increase the pay of those 
employees not involved in the market adjustment. 
F. County Manager may approve variations to the plan that are within the plan’s allocated funding.