HELENA – Two employees in the governor’s budget office have received pay increases of nearly 38 percent after their duties were changed and their jobs reclassified.
Annual salaries for Ryan Evans and Shawn Graham increased from the $53,000 they were making as associate budget analysts to $73,000 after their jobs were reclassified as finance managers.
Evans and Graham had received pay raises to $63,000 in November, but Gov. Brian Schweitzer canceled their raises, along with those given a dozen others, citing the economic downturn.
Budget Director David Ewer said he authorized the raises because he did not replace an assistant budget director and others in the office were asked to do more.
Ewer sought an independent review by the state Human Resources Division, which said Evans and Graham should be making between $68,000 and $78,000.