Four Pima County deputies filed a lawsuit against the county over the Step Program Wednesday.
The Step Program is a decade-old program that promised annual raises to sheriff's deputies and corrections officers. but the attorney in this case says those raises never happened.
A notice of claims was filed two months ago and the deadline for Pima County to respond expired yesterday.
The attorney for the deputies, Steve Portell, tells KGUN 9 On Your Side that the county has denied repeated attempts to discuss a resolution.
The county faces breach of contract and failing to act in good faith.
Full statement from Steve Portell:
“Today, four of our bravest and most loyal deputies filed a lawsuit in Pima County Superior Court. This action was taken reluctantly. The Deputies preferred to work with Pima County and to bring it in compliance with Arizona law and the state constitution. This is a case about Pima County breaking its promises. Unfortunately, despite repeated invitations to discuss resolution, officials within the county government decided, unequivocally, that they preferred litigation to discussions. We will now move forward with determination and with faith that the people of Pima County will not tolerate the injustice that has been committed against their deputies.”
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