HELENA – The Schweitzer administration has canceled pay raises awarded to 14 employees in the governor’s budget office.
Budget Director David Ewer authorized the pay hikes that totaled nearly $48,000 after he decided to assign the duties of an assistant budget director to other staffers, rather than hire another person. Ewer said the move would save the state $45,000 a year.
Schweitzer says instead, the staff will be asked to do more for the same amount of pay.
Last Friday, Schweitzer ordered executive branch agencies to outline ways to cut their budgets by 5 percent because of declining state revenues. Reversing the raises will be a 7 percent cut for the budget office.
The Lee Newspapers State Bureau last week reported the raises, which took effect on Nov. 2. The employees revert to their previous salaries on next week.