Title: Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 64 v. Personnel Board of Jefferson Cty.
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 1100430
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: August 24, 2012

REL: 08/24/2012 
Notice: 
T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o 
n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of Decisions, 
Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 
((334) 229¬
0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any 
t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may 
be 
made b e f o r e 
t h e o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
SPECIAL TERM, 2012 
1100430 
Fraternal Order of P o l i c e , Lodge No. 64, 
et a l . 
v. 
Personnel Board of Jefferson County e t a l . 
Appeal from Jefferson C i r c u i t Court 
(CV-10-902359) 
MURDOCK, J u s t i c e . 
The F r a t e r n a l Order o f P o l i c e , Lodge No. 64, 
and t h r e e 
employees 
o f t h e J e f f e r s o n 
County 
S h e r i f f ' s 
O f f i c e --
Sgt. R o b e r t Thompson, L t . 
W.D. M c A n a l l y , and 
Capt. Aubrey Leon 
F i n l e y 
( h e r e i n a f t e r " t h e 
e m p l o y e e s " ) -- a p p e a l 
from t h e 
1100430 
summary judgment i n f a v o r o f J e f f e r s o n County ("the C o u n t y " ) , 
the 
P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d o f J e f f e r s o n 
County ("the P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d " ) , 
and 
J e f f e r s o n 
County 
S h e r i f f 
Mike 
H a l e ("the 
s h e r i f f " )
1 i n 
t h e employees' a c t i o n r e g a r d i n g t h e s u s p e n s i o n 
of m e r i t pay r a i s e s f o r c l a s s i f i e d employees o f t h e J e f f e r s o n 
County 
S h e r i f f ' s O f f i c e . 
We 
a f f i r m t h e judgment o f t h e 
c i r c u i t 
c o u r t . 
I. 
F a c t s and P r o c e d u r a l 
H i s t o r y 
I n t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t , t h e 
p a r t i e s s t i p u l a t e d t h a t c e r t a i n 
f a c t s were u n d i s p u t e d and t h a t t h i s case c o u l d be d e c i d e d as 
a m a t t e r o f law. 
A memorandum o p i n i o n i s s u e d by t h e c i r c u i t 
c o u r t i n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h t h e e n t r y o f i t s judgment s t a t e s : 
"1. I n 1935, 
t h e 
Alabama L e g i s l a t u r e p a s s e d 
A c t 
1935-284, w h i c h 
c r e a t e d 
a u n i f i e d 
c i v i l 
s e r v i c e 
system f o r 
employees o f J e f f e r s o n County, t h e C i t y 
of 
Birmingham, 
and 
many 
o f 
t h e 
County's 
m u n i c i p a l i t i e s . ( S e e A c t 1935-284, 1935 A c t s o f 
Alabama 
a t p. 691.) T h i s 
A c t was 
r e v i s e d and 
r e - e n a c t e d 
i n 1945, and s u b s e q u e n t l y 
has been 
amended from time t o t i m e . ( S e e 
A c t 1945-248, 1945 
1 J e f f e r s o n County and t h e s h e r i f f have f o r g o n e t h e r i g h t 
t o 
f i l e 
t h e i r own b r i e f s i n t h i s 
a p p e a l and i n s t e a d have 
chosen t o adopt t h e arguments made by t h e P e r s o n n e l B o a r d i n 
i t s 
b r i e f . 
I n summarizing t h o s e arguments we r e f e r o n l y t o 
the " P e r s o n n e l B o a r d . " 
2 
1100430 
A c t s o f Alabama a t p. 376.) 
T h i s A c t i s commonly 
known as t h e ' E n a b l i n g A c t . '
[ 2 ] 
"2. The J e f f e r s o n County P e r s o n n e l B o a r d i s 
t h e 
body c r e a t e d by t h e E n a b l i n g A c t 
t o implement t h e 
m e r i t system. 
(Id.) 
"3. 
The 
P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d 
i s a u t h o r i z e d t o 
e s t a b l i s h 
R u l e s and R e g u l a t i o n s t o implement t h e 
p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e E n a b l i n g A c t . Such 
R u l e s and 
R e g u l a t i o n s , when so p r o m u l g a t e d , 
' s h a l l have t h e 
f o r c e and e f f e c t o f 
law 
u n l e s s t h e y a r e 
c o n t r a r y t o 
the p r o v i s i o n s o f [the E n a b l i n g A c t ] . 
' (See E n a b l i n g 
A c t , § 
12.) 
"4. 
Two o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l 
p l a i n t i f f s 
(W.D. 
M c A n a l l y 
and Aubrey 
Leon 
F i n l e y ) 
a r e r e g u l a r 
c l a s s i f i e d 
employees 
o f t h e 
J e f f e r s o n 
County 
S h e r i f f ' s O f f i c e , a r e s u b j e c t t o t h e 
E n a b l i n g A c t , 
are o t h e r w i s e 
e l i g i b l e f o r s t e p i n c r e a s e s , and b u t 
f o r 
t h e 
S h e r i f f ' s 
d e c i s i o n 
t o 
w i t h h o l d 
s t e p 
i n c r e a s e s f o r 
h i s employees, 
would 
r e c e i v e 
s t e p 
i n c r e a s e s . The t h i r d 
i n d i v i d u a l 
p l a i n t i f f , 
R o b e r t 
Thompson, 
i s compensated 
a t 
Step 
10 o f t h e 
a p p l i c a b l e pay 
grade and 
t h e r e f o r e c o u l d not r e c e i v e 
a s t e p i n c r e a s e i n 
any e v e n t .
[ 3 ] 
2 A c t No. 248, A l a . A c t s 1945, 
a g e n e r a l law o f l o c a l 
a p p l i c a t i o n , i s 
n o t c o d i f i e d i n 
t h e 
Alabama Code. 
3As d i s c u s s e d below, see 
note 8 and 
accompanying t e x t , § 
2 o f 
A c t 
No. 248, 
A l a . A c t s 1945, 
g r a n t s t h e P e r s o n n e l B o a r d 
a u t h o r i t y w i t h r e s p e c t t o 
"employees i n the c l a s s i f i e d s e r v i c e 
of t h e 
county." 
One o p i n i o n o f t h i s C o u r t , s e v e r a l d e c i s i o n s 
of t h e 
C o u r t o f C i v i l A p p e a l s , and 
a t l e a s t one o p i n i o n o f t h e 
Alabama A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l r e a s o n t h a t s h e r i f f ' s d e p u t i e s , 
l i k e 
the s h e r i f f s w i t h whom t h e y s e r v e , a r e 
n o t 
employees i n t h e 
s e r v i c e o f t h e i r 
r e s p e c t i v e c o u n t i e s f o r 
purposes o f 
t h e 
county's 
l o c a l m e r i t 
system and t h e r u l e s and r e g u l a t i o n s 
p r o m u l g a t e d and implemented by t h e p e r s o n n e l 
b o a r d o f 
t h e 
county. 
See 
Hooks v. H i t t , 539 
So. 
2d 
157 ( A l a . 1988); B l o u n t  
Cnty. Comm'n v. S h e r r i l l , 77 So. 3d 1196 ( A l a . C i v . App. 
3 
1100430 
"5. On A p r i l 27, 2010, Hon. Ray F i t z p a t r i c k , an 
a t t o r n e y r e p r e s e n t i n g the J e f f e r s o n County F r a t e r n a l 
Order o f 
P o l i c e , Lodge No. 
64, s e n t a 
l e t t e r 
t o 
L o r r e n 
O. 
O l i v e r , 
[ P e r s o n n e l 
Board] 
D i r e c t o r 
o f 
P e r s o n n e l , 
a r g u i n g 
t h a t 
m e r i t 
pay 
i n c r e a s e s 
are 
mandatory each y e a r p u r s u a n t t o v a r i o u s p r o v i s i o n s 
of the E n a b l i n g A c t and the [ P e r s o n n e l Board] R u l e s 
and R e g u l a t i o n s , c o n d i t i o n e d o n l y on the employee's 
s a t i s f a c t o r y 
j o b 
p e r f o r m a n c e . 
In 
s h o r t , 
Mr. 
F i t z p a t r i c k 
argued 
t h a t 
[ P e r s o n n e l 
Board] 
R u l e 
8.2(c) 
and 
S e c t i o n 
12 
o f the 
E n a b l i n g 
A c t 
p r o v i d e 
t h a t a s a t i s f a c t o r y performance 
r a t i n g i s 
the s o l e and e x c l u s i v e f a c t o r t h a t may be 
c o n s i d e r e d 
by 
an 
A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t y
[ 4 ] 
i n 
e x e r c i s i n g i t s 
2010), Mack v. A r n o l d , 929 So. 2d 480, 483-84 ( A l a . C i v . App. 
2005); W h i t t e n v. Lowe, 677 So. 2d 778, 780 
( A l a . C i v . App. 
1995); and Op. A t t ' y Gen. No. 2001-217. 
In the p r e s e n t case, 
a l l p a r t i e s t r e a t the e n a b l i n g a c t and the a s s o c i a t e d r u l e s 
and r e g u l a t i o n s of the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d as a p p l i c a b l e t o the 
employees. 
For the reasons s e t out h e r e i n , a c c e p t a n c e of the 
p o s i t i o n assumed by the p a r t i e s l e a d s t o the same r e s u l t as 
would be r e a c h e d absent t h a t a s s u m p t i o n . 
For p u r p o s e s o f t h i s 
case, we a c c e p t t h i s assumption and p r o c e e d t o a d d r e s s the 
arguments p r e s e n t e d . 
4 S e c t i o n 1 of A c t No. 
248, A l a . A c t s 
1945, 
d e f i n e s 
an 
" a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y " as a 
" p e r s o n , 
o f f i c e r , 
b o a r d , 
c o u n c i l , commission 
o r 
o t h e r body ... whose l a w f u l j u r i s d i c t i o n or powers 
are 
c o n f i n e d 
w h o l l y 
or 
p r i m a r i l y 
w i t h i n 
the 
t e r r i t o r i a l 
l i m i t s o f such c o u n t y and who o r which 
p o s s e s s e s 
f i n a l 
power 
t o 
a p p o i n t 
p e r s o n s 
t o 
s e r v i c e s , 
j o b s , 
o f f i c e s 
o r 
p o s i t i o n s , 
the 
compensation o f w h i c h i s p a i d i n whole or i n p a r t 
from the p u b l i c funds of such county o r from the 
p u b l i c 
funds 
o f 
a 
m u n i c i p a l i t y i n such 
c o u n t y 
s u b j e c t t o t h i s A c t . " 
The p a r t i e s agree t h a t the s h e r i f f i s the a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y 
i n t h i s a c t i o n . 
4 
1100430 
d i s c r e t i o n 
t o award or 
w i t h h o l d 
m e r i t 
i n c r e a s e s . 
Mr. 
F i t z p a t r i c k 
r e q u e s t e d 
t h a t the D i r e c t o r 
' t a k e 
such 
a c t i o n s 
as 
are 
r e q u i r e d 
t o 
ensure 
t h a t 
i m p l e m e n t a t i o n 
of 
a l l m e r i t 
i n c r e a s e s 
w h i c h have 
become due 
i n the p e r i o d s i n c e J u l y 14, 2009 w i t h 
the 
p r o v i s i o n 
of 
a p p r o p r i a t e 
b a c k p a y . ' 
(See 
A f f i d a v i t of L o r r e n O l i v e r , Ex. 
1.) 
"6. 
On 
May 
11, 
2010, 
the 
D i r e c t o r 
i s s u e d 
a 
w r i t t e n l e t t e r d e t e r m i n a t i o n . The D i r e c t o r c o n c l u d e d 
t h a t ' S e c t i o n 12 of the E n a b l i n g A c t does not make 
m e r i t s t e p i n c r e a s e s m a n d a t o r y ' and t h a t ' S e c t i o n 
12 
... does [not] p r o v i d e t h a t an A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t y 
may 
not 
c o n s i d e r 
i t s own 
f i s c a l 
c i r c u m s t a n c e s 
and 
c o n d i t i o n s 
i n d e t e r m i n i n g 
whether t o e x e r c i s e i t s 
d i s c r e t i o n a f f o r d e d under R u l e 
8 . 2 ( c ) . ' 
"7. By 
l e t t e r of May 
18, 2010, 
Mr. 
F i t z p a t r i c k 
r e q u e s t e d 
t h a t t h i s m a t t e r be p l a c e d on the agenda 
f o r c o n s i d e r a t i o n by the 
f u l l Board. 
"8. 
A t 
i t s r e g u l a r l y s c h e d u l e d June 8, 
2010, 
b u s i n e s s 
m e e t i n g , the three-member P e r s o n n e l 
Board 
r e c e i v e d 
o r a l 
argument 
from 
Mr. 
F i t z p a t r i c k , 
r e p r e s e n t i n g the J e f f e r s o n County F r a t e r n a l Order of 
P o l i c e , Lodge No. 
64, 
and 
from Hon. 
Rob 
R i l e y 
and 
J a y 
M u r r i l l , 
r e p r e s e n t i n g 
the 
S h e r i f f . 
The 
B o a r d 
u p h e l d the D i r e c t o r ' s May 
11 
d e t e r m i n a t i o n . 
"9. The J e f f e r s o n County S h e r i f f ' s 
Department i s 
not 
the 
o n l y employer s u b j e c t 
t o the E n a b l i n g 
A c t 
t h a t 
has 
suspended 
m e r i t 
s t e p 
i n c r e a s e s . 
The 
P e r s o n n e l B o a r d i t s e l f has suspended such 
i n c r e a s e s 
f o r i t s own employees f o r the p a s t two 
f i s c a l 
y e a r s . 
" S t i p u l a t e d 
F a c t s 
"On 
December 
1, 
2010, 
the 
p l a i n t i f f s 
and 
Defendant P e r s o n n e l B o a r d e n t e r e d i n t o a s t i p u l a t i o n 
of 
f a c t s . 
... 
[T]he 
f o l l o w i n g s t i p u l a t e d f a c t s 
are deemed t o be u n d i s p u t e d 
... : 
5 
1100430 
"'The three-member P e r s o n n e l Board 
has 
adopted R u l e 8.2(c) g o v e r n i n g the p r o v i s i o n 
of m e r i t r a i s e s f o r 
c l a s s i f i e d employees. 
"'The 
Board's D i r e c t o r has a u t h o r i z e d 
o t h e r g u i d a n c e documents p u b l i s h e d by 
t h e 
[ P e r s o n n e l Board] and 
has d i r e c t e d s t a f f t o 
a p p l y p r o c e d u r e s f o r t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n 
o f 
m e r i t 
r a i s e s 
as 
e x p l a i n e d 
i n 
t h i s 
p a r a g r a p h . 
Those p r o c e d u r e s have n o t been 
s p e c i f i c a l l y approved by t h e three-member 
B o a r d . The p r o c e d u r e s t h a t a r e a p p l i e d by 
the D i r e c t o r and s t a f f g e n e r a l l y work as 
f o l l o w s . Each R e g u l a r 
C l a s s i f i e d Employee 
has h i s 
o r h e r own ' a n n i v e r s a r y d a t e ' on 
w h i c h 
s t e p 
i n c r e a s e s 
may be 
g i v e n . 
A 
R e g u l a r C l a s s i f i e d Employee may n o t 
r e c e i v e 
more than one s t e p i n c r e a s e i n 
a y e a r . I f 
the A p p o i n t i n g A u t h o r i t y i s g r a n t i n g s t e p 
i n c r e a s e s f o r t h e 
y e a r , and i f 
t h e 
employee 
o t h e r w i s e 
q u a l i f i e s f o r 
a s t e p 
i n c r e a s e 
(e.g., i s 
n o t a l r e a d y a t t h e 
maximum s t e p 
f o r t h e a p p l i c a b l e pay grade, and has a 
q u a l i f y i n g performance 
e v a l u a t i o n ) , 
then 
the 
s t e p 
i n c r e a s e i s implemented by t h e 
A p p o i n t i n g A u t h o r i t y i n i t i a t i n g a P e r s o n n e l 
A c t i o n i n 
t h e 
Lawson System. The P e r s o n n e l 
A c t i o n f o r 
a s t e p i n c r e a s e i s e n t e r e d on 
Lawson s c r e e n PA-52.1. When t h e P e r s o n n e l 
A c t i o n i s i n i t i a t e d , 
t h e Lawson 
System 
l o g i c a u t o m a t i c a l l y r o u t e s t h e a c t i o n 
f o r 
n e c e s s a r y 
a p p r o v a l s and v a l i d a t i o n s . When 
t h i s i s complete, t h e employee's s t e p and 
c o r r e s p o n d i n g 
r a t e o f compensation a r e 
i n c r e a s e d . The employee's a n n i v e r s a r y date 
remains 
unchanged. I n t h e case o f t h e 
S h e r i f f ' s 
O f f i c e , 
t h e 
s t e p 
i n c r e a s e 
p e r s o n n e l 
a c t i o n s a r e i n i t i a t e d by t h e 
S h e r i f f ' s O f f i c e t o t h e J e f f e r s o n County 
Human 
R e s o u r c e s 
Department, 
w h i c h 
then 
6 
1100430 
t r a n s m i t s the a c t i o n s v i a i n t e r f a c e f i l e t o 
the 
P e r s o n n e l 
Board. 
I f 
the 
A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t y does not i n i t i a t e a s t e p i n c r e a s e 
f o r 
an 
employee 
i n t o 
the 
system, 
the 
employee does not r e c e i v e 
i t . 
"'The 
[ P e r s o n n e l 
Board] 
R u l e s 
and 
R e g u l a t i o n s were r e v i s e d d u r i n g the 
t e n u r e 
of 
Dr. 
R o n a l d 
R. 
Sims, 
a p p o i n t e d 
as 
R e c e i v e r by o r d e r s e n t e r e d i n U n i t e d S t a t e s  
v. 
J e f f e r s o n County, No. 
CV-75-666 
(N.D. 
A l a . ) . 
The 
R e c e i v e r 
was 
g i v e n 
b r o a d 
a u t h o r i t y 
over 
the 
P e r s o n n e l 
Board, 
i n c l u d i n g 
the powers of 
the 
D i r e c t o r 
as 
p r o v i d e d 
f o r 
i n 
the 
E n a b l i n g 
A c t . 
The 
R e c e i v e r 
was 
not g i v e n a u t h o r i t y t o 
t a k e 
any a c t i o n c o n t r a r y t o the r e q u i r e m e n t s 
of 
the 
E n a b l i n g 
A c t . 
Through 
a 
s e r i e s 
of 
o r d e r s , 
the 
f e d e r a l 
c o u r t 
has 
s i n c e 
r e s t o r e d 
a u t h o r i t y t o 
the 
t h r e e member 
B o a r d and i t s D i r e c t o r . 
" ' D u r i n g 
the R e c e i v e r s h i p , the 
R u l e s 
and 
R e g u l a t i o n s 
were 
r e v i s e d i n 
January 
2003, May 
2003, and A p r i l 2005. A f t e r the 
R e c e i v e r s h i p , p o r t i o n s of the R u l e s were 
amended 
by 
the 
three-member 
Board 
i n 
January 2009. The 
c u r r e n t v e r s i o n of 
Rule 
8.2(c) 
i s d e r i v e d 
from 
the 
former 
Rule 
2.13(d). 
... 
The 
language, 
' [ a ] t 
the 
d i s c r e t i o n 
of the A p p o i n t i n g A u t h o r i t y , ' 
appears 
t w i c e 
i n Rule 
8.3(c) 
[ s i c ] . 
The 
f i r s t 
i n s t a n c e was 
added w i t h 
the 
A p r i l 
2005 
R u l e 
r e v i s i o n , 
w h i l e 
the 
second 
i n s t a n c e was added i n the January 2009 R u l e 
r e v i s i o n ; b o t h i n s t a n c e s remain a p a r t of 
the 
R u l e . 
" ' I n 
2007, 
the 
[ P e r s o n n e l 
Board] 
D i r e c t o r p u b l i s h e d g u i d a n c e documents t h a t 
p r o v i d e 
t h a t A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t i e s have 
d i s c r e t i o n t o g r a n t or suspend m e r i t 
s t e p 
7 
1100430 
i n c r e a s e s 
on 
an 
a c r o s s - t h e - b o a r d 
b a s i s . 
Such 
guidance 
documents 
have 
not 
been 
approved by the B o a r d as p a r t of the R u l e s 
and R e g u l a t i o n s . 
"'The 
D i r e c t o r of 
P e r s o n n e l 
i s 
not 
aware of any i n s t a n c e from the f a l l of 2002 
t h r o u g h J u l y 2009, i n w h i c h any A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t y suspended m e r i t s t e p i n c r e a s e s on 
an a c r o s s the b o a r d b a s i s . 
"'As 
Rule 
8.2(c) 
i s a p p l i e d by 
the 
Board, 
each employee has 
h i s or her 
own 
' a n n i v e r s a r y d a t e ' on which a s t e p i n c r e a s e 
may 
be 
g i v e n . 
A f t e r 
an 
a c r o s s - t h e - b o a r d 
s u s p e n s i o n i s ended, the next s t e p i n c r e a s e 
s h a l l be g r a n t e d on the same a n n i v e r s a r y 
date 
f o r the employee i f the 
employee's 
performance i s s a t i s f a c t o r y . 
"'The 
[ P e r s o n n e l 
Board] 
has 
not 
i d e n t i f i e d 
any 
c r i t e r i a 
g o v e r n i n g 
the 
c o n d i t i o n s 
i n w h i c h 
a 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
may 
e l e c t 
t o 
suspend, 
h a l t , 
s t o p 
or 
f r e e z e 
m e r i t or s t e p i n c r e a s e s a c r o s s the 
b o a r d . 
The B o a r d contends t h a t Rule 8.2(c) p l a c e s 
t h a t 
d i s c r e t i o n 
i n 
the 
hands 
of 
the 
A p p o i n t i n g A u t h o r i t y . 
"'The 
[ P e r s o n n e l 
Board] 
has 
not 
i d e n t i f i e d 
any 
c r i t e r i a 
g o v e r n i n g 
p r o c e d u r e s 
t h a t a j u r i s d i c t i o n must adhere 
t o a f t e r an ' a c r o s s the b o a r d ' 
s u s p e n s i o n 
of 
m e r i t 
r a i s e s 
i s ended. However, 
the 
[ P e r s o n n e l Board] 
D i r e c t o r of 
P e r s o n n e l 
b e l i e v e s 
t h a t 
a 
s u s p e n s i o n 
of 
m e r i t 
i n c r e a s e s 
s h o u l d 
s t a n d 
i n p l a c e 
f o r 
one 
f u l l 
y e a r . 
When 
s t e p 
i n c r e a s e s 
are 
r e i n s t a t e d , the [ P e r s o n n e l Board] D i r e c t o r 
of P e r s o n n e l would not p e r m i t two s t e p s t o 
be g i v e n a t once, but a j u r i s d i c t i o n c o u l d 
a u t h o r i z e an a c r o s s - t h e - b o a r d 
i n c r e a s e i n 
8 
1100430 
the e n t i r e s a l a r y s c h e d u l e under p r o v i s i o n s 
of t h e law and R u l e s g o v e r n i n g changes i n 
the s a l a r y 
s c h e d u l e . 
"'The 
[ P e r s o n n e l 
Board] 
has not 
i d e n t i f i e d any f i n a n c i a l c r i t e r i a g o v e r n i n g 
the c o n d i t i o n s i n 
which a j u r i s d i c t i o n may 
suspend m e r i t 
r a i s e s . The Board contends 
t h a t Rule 8.2(c) p l a c e s t h a t d i s c r e t i o n i n 
the hands o f t h e A p p o i n t i n g A u t h o r i t y . ' " 
(Footnote 
o m i t t e d . ) 
I n 
a d d i t i o n t o t h e f o r e g o i n g u n d i s p u t e d 
f a c t s , we 
note 
t h a t b e f o r e t h e r e c e i v e r a p p o i n t e d by t h e f e d e r a l c o u r t i n 
U n i t e d S t a t e s v. J e f f e r s o n County, No. CV-75-666 (N.D. A l a . ) , 
a d o p t e d 
t h e r e v i s i o n 
t o t h e P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d 
R u l e s 
and 
R e g u l a t i o n s i n 2005, i . e . , sometime i n 2004, c o u n s e l f o r t h e 
r e c e i v e r c i r c u l a t e d a memorandum summarizing t h e r u l e changes. 
W i t h r e s p e c t t o t h e r e v i s i o n o f R u l e 8 . 2 ( c ) , which added t h e 
language " a t 
t h e d i s c r e t i o n o f t h e A p p o i n t i n g A u t h o r i t y , " 
t h e 
memorandum s t a t e d : 
"Rule 8.2(c) -- S a l a r y Advancement - T h i s Rule 
was 
r e w r i t t e n 
t o 
c l a r i f y 
t h a t 
an 
A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t y may, i n i t s d i s c r e t i o n , p r o v i d e p a r t - t i m e 
employees w i t h s a l a r y advancement. The Rule was a l s o 
r e w r i t t e n t o emphasize t h a t an e f f i c i e n c y 
r e v i e w 
w i l l be r e q u i r e d f o r 
a l l s a l a r y advancements. T h i s 
r e q u i r e m e n t 
ensures 
t h a t 
s a l a r y 
advancements a r e 
b a s e d on m e r i t o r i o u s p e r f o r m a n c e . " 
9 
1100430 
We 
a l s o note t h a t a document r e f e r r e d t o by the p a r t i e s 
as a "guidance document" was 
p u b l i s h e d i n September 2007 by 
the p e r s o n n e l 
d i r e c t o r i n o r d e r 
t o p r o v i d e 
an o v e r v i e w 
of 
c i v i l - s e r v i c e employment i n J e f f e r s o n County. 
T h i s document 
s t a t e d the f o l l o w i n g c o n c e r n i n g m e r i t 
r a i s e s : 
"A 
r e g u l a r 
c l a s s i f i e d 
employee 
i s 
e l i g i b l e 
t o 
r e c e i v e a one s t e p ' m e r i t ' i n c r e a s e i n pay on h i s or 
her a n n i v e r s a r y d a t e . Such i n c r e a s e s may 
be 
d e n i e d 
t o 
an 
employee 
b a s e d 
on 
documented 
performance 
problems or a j u r i s d i c t i o n may 
choose not t o 
g r a n t  
s t e p i n c r e a s e s a c r o s s the b o a r d i f such r a i s e s are  
not 
f i n a n c i a l l y 
f e a s i b l e . 
In the normal c o u r s e 
of 
b u s i n e s s , employees may 
n e i t h e r be p a i d below Step 
1 nor beyond the top s t e p a s s i g n e d t o t h e i r grade. 
A d d i t i o n a l l y , 
t h e r e 
i s no 
p r o v i s i o n i n the 
M e r i t 
System f o r o f f - c y c l e s a l a r y a d j u s t m e n t s e x c e p t those 
a s s o c i a t e d w i t h p r o m o t i o n s or demotions." 
(Emphasis added.) 
A l l v e r s i o n s 
of 
the 
g u i d a n c e document 
p u b l i s h e d a f t e r September 2007 i n c l u d e d t h i s 
e x p l a n a t i o n . 
On June 30, 2010, 
the employees f i l e d the i n s t a n t a c t i o n 
a g a i n s t the d e f e n d a n t s c o n t e n d i n g 
t h a t t h e y were b e i n g 
d e n i e d 
t h e i r 
f u l l compensation as m e r i t - s y s t e m employees as a r e s u l t 
of the s u s p e n s i o n 
of m e r i t pay 
r a i s e s by the 
s h e r i f f . 
The 
employees argued 
t h a t 
the 
s u s p e n s i o n 
of 
m e r i t 
pay 
r a i s e s 
v i o l a t e d § 12 of A c t No. 
248, 
A l a . A c t s 1945 
("the 
e n a b l i n g 
a c t " ) ; t h e y sought d e c l a r a t o r y and i n j u n c t i v e r e l i e f , a w r i t 
10 
1100430 
of mandamus r e q u i r i n g t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f m e r i t pay r a i s e s , 
and backpay and compensation f o r l o s t 
s a l a r y . 
On September 1, 2010, t h e P e r s o n n e l Board 
f i l e d a motion 
f o r 
a summary judgment, which t h e s h e r i f f and the County 
j o i n e d and adopted. 
On December 1, 2010, t h e employees 
f i l e d 
a response t o t h e d e f e n d a n t s ' m o t i o n , as w e l l as a c r o s s -
m o t i o n f o r 
a p a r t i a l summary judgment. 
As n o t e d above, t h e 
p a r t i e s s t i p u l a t e d t o t h e p e r t i n e n t 
f a c t s . 
On 
December 10, 2010, t h e 
c i r c u i t 
c o u r t 
e n t e r e d a 
judgment i n which i t g r a n t e d t h e d e f e n d a n t s ' motion f o r a 
summary judgment as t o a l l c l a i m s and d e n i e d t h e employees' 
c r o s s - m o t i o n f o r a p a r t i a l summary judgment. 
The employees 
a p p e a l . 
I I . 
S t a n d a r d o f Review 
as h e r e , t h e f a c t s a r e u n d i s p u t e d : 
"Our s t a n d a r d o f r e v i e w i s 
s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d when, 
"'An 
o r d e r 
g r a n t i n g o r 
d e n y i n g 
a 
summary 
judgment 
i s r e v i e w e d 
de 
novo, 
a p p l y i n g t h e same s t a n d a r d as t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
a p p l i e d . 
American 
Gen. 
L i f e 
& 
 
A c c i d e n t I n s . 
Co. v. Underwood, 886 So. 2d 
807, 811 ( A l a . 2004). In a d d i t i o n , 
" [ t ] h i s 
11 
1100430 
a 
case 
are 
e s s e n t i a l l y 
u n d i s p u t e d , 
t h i s 
C o u r t must 
d e t e r m i n e 
whether 
the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t m i s a p p l i e d the law t o the 
u n d i s p u t e d 
f a c t s , 
a p p l y i n g 
a 
de 
novo 
s t a n d a r d 
of 
r e v i e w . 
C a r t e r v. C i t y of H a l e y v i l l e , 
669 
So. 
2d 
812, 
815 
( A l a . 1995). 
Here, 
i n 
r e v i e w i n g the [ e n t r y ] of a summary judgment 
when the f a c t s are u n d i s p u t e d , 
we r e v i e w 
de 
novo the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of 
s t a t u t o r y language and our p r e v i o u s c a s e l a w 
on a c o n t r o l l i n g q u e s t i o n of l a w . ' " 
McKinney v. N a t i o n w i d e Mut. 
F i r e 
I n s . Co., 
33 
So. 
3d 
1203, 
1206-07 ( A l a . 2009) ( q u o t i n g C o n t i n e n t a l N a t ' l Indem. Co. 
v. 
F i e l d s , 926 
So. 2d 1033, 
1034-35 ( A l a . 
2 0 0 5 ) ) . 
I I I . 
A n a l y s i s 
The employees make two arguments on a p p e a l . 
F i r s t , t h e y 
argue, a l b e i t b r i e f l y , t h a t P e r s o n n e l B o a r d R u l e 8.2(c) does 
not a u t h o r i z e an a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y such as the s h e r i f f t o 
suspend m e r i t 
pay 
r a i s e s 
f o r employees 
of 
the 
a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t y . 
In 
p e r t i n e n t 
p a r t , 
P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d 
R u l e 
8.2 
p r o v i d e s : 
"Each C l a s s i f i e d Employee s h a l l be p a i d a t 
one 
of the Pay Grades s e t f o r t h i n the Pay P l a n f o r the 
p o s i t i o n 
i n w h i c h he 
or she 
s e r v e s , 
i n a c c o r d a n c e 
w i t h 
t h e s e R u l e s 
and 
the 
s p e c i a l p r o v i s i o n s 
f o r 
a d m i n i s t e r i n g the Pay 
P l a n . 
"  
"c. 
S a l a r y 
Advancement. 
A n n u a l 
s a l a r y 
advancement w i t h i n e s t a b l i s h e d Pay Grades s h a l l 
be 
12 
1100430 
based 
on 
m e r i t o r i o u s 
performance 
on 
the 
j o b 
and 
s h a l l be i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h the s p e c i a l 
p r o v i s i o n s 
f o r a d m i n i s t e r i n g the Pay P l a n . An e f f i c i e n c y r e v i e w 
r e f l e c t i n g 
s a t i s f a c t o r y 
performance 
s h a l l 
be 
r e q u i r e d f o r advancement. A t the d i s c r e t i o n of the  
A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t y , 
a 
C l a s s i f i e d Employee 
w i t h  
c o n t i n u e d s a t i s f a c t o r y s e r v i c e s h a l l be e l i g i b l e f o r  
f u t u r e one-step a n n u a l i n c r e a s e s u n t i l such time as  
the C l a s s i f i e d Employee reaches the maximum Pay Step  
f o r the Pay 
Grade. 
"At the d i s c r e t i o n of an A p p o i n t i n g A u t h o r i t y , 
an employee w i t h one or more below s t a n d a r d r a t i n g s 
on h i s or her e f f i c i e n c y r a t i n g may be d e n i e d a Pay 
Step 
i n c r e a s e 
u n t i l 
such 
time 
the 
employee's 
performance improves. Such d e l a y e d Pay Step i n c r e a s e 
s h a l l 
not 
be 
r e t r o a c t i v e 
and 
s h a l l 
e x t e n d 
the 
employee's 
a n n i v e r s a r y date 
one 
year 
from 
the 
e f f e c t i v e date of the Pay Step i n c r e a s e . 
E f f i c i e n c y 
R a t i n g s are not s u b j e c t t o a p p e a l t o the Board." 
(Emphasis added.) 
In the c i r c u i t c o u r t , the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d and the o t h e r 
d e f e n d a n t s contended, and the c i r c u i t c o u r t agreed, t h a t the 
above-emphasized 
language i n R u l e 8.2(c) g i v e s an a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t y the d i s c r e t i o n t o implement 
an " a c r o s s - t h e - b o a r d " 
s u s p e n s i o n 
of 
m e r i t 
pay 
r a i s e s 
t o 
i t s employees.
5 
The 
employees argued t h a t the language emphasized 
above m e r e l y 
p r o v i d e s t h a t an a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y can a s s e s s whether 
an 
5We 
are not p r e s e n t e d here w i t h an argument t h a t 
the 
d i s c r e t i o n 
g i v e n t h e 
a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y 
extends 
t o 
the 
e l i g i b i l i t y of employees f o r r a i s e s on an i n d i v i d u a l , 
r a t h e r 
than on an a c r o s s - t h e - b o a r d , b a s i s . 
13 
1100430 
employee had " s a t i s f a c t o r y s e r v i c e " as p e r m i t t e d by § 12 o f 
the e n a b l i n g a c t . The employees note 
t h a t t h e memorandum 
c i r c u l a t e d by c o u n s e l f o r 
t h e r e c e i v e r i n 2004 echoed 
t h i s 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e language. 
They i n s i s t t h a t t h e " p l a i n 
i n t e n t " o f R u l e 8.2(c) does n o t a f f o r d an a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y 
the d i s c r e t i o n t o d i s c o n t i n u e m e r i t 
r a i s e s . 
The 
c i r c u i t c o u r t r e j e c t e d t h i s argument, r e a s o n i n g as 
f o l l o w s : 
"The R u l e does n o t p r o v i d e t h a t s t e p advancement i s 
a mandatory consequence o f 
a s a t i s f a c t o r y e f f i c i e n c y 
r e v i e w ; 
r a t h e r , 
t h e 
Rule 
p r o v i d e s 
t h a t 
a 
s a t i s f a c t o r y 
e f f i c i e n c y 
r e v i e w 
' s h a l l be r e q u i r e d  
f o r advancement' i . e . , 
i s 
a n e c e s s a r y p r e r e q u i s i t e 
f o r 
r e c e i v i n g a s t e p 
i n c r e a s e . The Rule 
f u r t h e r 
makes i t 
c l e a r t h a t a s a t i s f a c t o r y e f f i c i e n c y r e v i e w 
makes t h e employee 
' e l i g i b l e f o r , ' n o t 
n e c e s s a r i l y 
' e n t i t l e d 
t o , ' a 
s t e p 
i n c r e a s e . 
The 
p h r a s e s 
' e l i g i b l e f o r ' 
and ' e n t i t l e d t o ' a r e d i f f e r e n t , and 
t h e y mean d i f f e r e n t t h i n g s . See, e.g., I m m i g r a t i o n  
And N a t u r a l i z a t i o n S e r v i c e v. C a r d o z a - F o n s e c a , 4 
80 
U.S. 421, 444 (1987) ('We do n o t c o n s i d e r i t 
a t a l l 
anomalous 
t h a t 
out o f 
t h e 
e n t i r e 
c l a s s 
o f 
' r e f u g e e s , ' those who can show a c l e a r 
p r o b a b i l i t y 
of p e r s e c u t i o n a r e e n t i t l e d t o mandatory 
s u s p e n s i o n 
of 
d e p o r t a t i o n 
and 
e l i g i b l e 
f o r 
d i s c r e t i o n a r y 
asylum, w h i l e t h o s e who can o n l y show a w e l l - f o u n d e d 
f e a r o f p e r s e c u t i o n a r e n o t e n t i t l e d t o a n y t h i n g , 
but a r e e l i g i b l e f o r t h e d i s c r e t i o n a r y 
r e l i e f o f 
asylum.') (emphasis i n o r i g i n a l ) . I n a d d i t i o n , t h e 
p h r a s e 
' [ a ] t 
t h e d i s c r e t i o n 
o f t h e 
A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t y ' l e a v e s w i t h t h e A p p o i n t i n g A u t h o r i t y 
t h e 
' d i s c r e t i o n ' 
t o 
d e c i d e 
whether 
t o 
g r a n t 
s t e p 
i n c r e a s e s , p r o v i d e d t h e mandatory p r e c o n d i t i o n o f a 
s a t i s f a c t o r y 
e f f i c i e n c y 
r e v i e w 
i s 
s a t i s f i e d . 
14 
1100430 
F i n a l l y , the B o a r d i t s e l f has i n t e r p r e t e d t h i s 
Rule 
t o a l l o w the s u s p e n s i o n of m e r i t s t e p i n c r e a s e s , and 
the 
Board's 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n 
of 
i t s own 
Rule 
i s 
e n t i t l e d 
t o 
s u b s t a n t i a l 
d e f e r e n c e . 
See 
P e r s o n n e l 
 
B o a r d of J e f f e r s o n County v. B a i l e y , 475 So. 2d 
863, 
866 
( A l a . C i v . App. 
1985) 
( ' [ S ] u b s t a n t i a l d e f e r e n c e 
s h o u l d be g i v e n t o [ t h i s ] agency's i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of 
i t s own 
r u l e s and 
r e g u l a t i o n s . ' ) . " 
We agree w i t h the c i r c u i t c o u r t . 
"'[L]anguage used i n an 
a d m i n i s t r a t i v e r e g u l a t i o n s h o u l d be g i v e n i t s n a t u r a l , 
p l a i n , 
o r d i n a r y , and commonly u n d e r s t o o d meaning, j u s t as language i n 
a s t a t u t e . ' " 
Ex p a r t e W i l b a n k s H e a l t h Care S e r v s . , I n c . , 
986 
So. 2d 422, 
427 
( A l a . 2007) ( q u o t i n g Alabama M e d i c a i d Agency  
v. B e v e r l y E n t e r s . , 521 
So. 
2d 1329, 
1332 
( A l a . C i v . 
App. 
1 9 8 7 ) ) . 
Under a p l a i n 
r e a d i n g of Rule 
8 . 2 ( c ) , the p h r a s e 
" [ a ] t the d i s c r e t i o n of the A p p o i n t i n g A u t h o r i t y " i n t r o d u c e s 
e v e r y t h i n g t h a t succeeds i t i n the s e n t e n c e , meaning t h a t an 
a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y has d i s c r e t i o n as t o whether t o p r o v i d e 
m e r i t pay r a i s e s t o i t s e l i g i b l e employees. 
Moreover, as the 
c i r c u i t 
c o u r t 
n o t e d , 
"the 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n 
of 
an 
agency 
r e g u l a t i o n by the p r o m u l g a t i n g agency c a r r i e s 
' " c o n t r o l l i n g 
w e i g h t u n l e s s i t i s p l a i n l y erroneous or i n c o n s i s t e n t 
w i t h the 
r e g u l a t i o n . " ' " 
Brunson C o n s t r . & E n v t l . S e r v s . , I n c . v. 
C i t y  
of P r i c h a r d , 664 So. 2d 885, 890 
( A l a . 1995) 
( q u o t i n g U n i t e d  
S t a t e s v. L a r i o n o f f , 431 U.S. 
864, 872 
(1977), q u o t i n g i n t u r n 
15 
1100430 
Bowles v. Seminole Rock Co., 325 U.S. 410, 414 ( 1 9 4 5 ) ) . 
The 
P e r s o n n e l B o a r d i n t e r p r e t s R u l e 8.2(c) t o g i v e an a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t y t h e d i s c r e t i o n t o suspend m e r i t pay r a i s e s a c r o s s -
t h e - b o a r d t o i t s 
employees, and t h e p e r s o n n e l 
d i r e c t o r has 
i n t e r p r e t e d t h e r u l e 
i n t h i s way 
s i n c e 2007. 
Thus, 
we 
c o n s t r u e Rule 8.2(c) as p e r m i t t i n g an a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y 
t o 
suspend m e r i t pay r a i s e s f o r i t s employees. 
The employees' second and p r i m a r y argument on a p p e a l , 
however, i s t h a t , t o t h e e x t e n t t h a t R u l e 8.2(c) p e r m i t s t h e 
s u s p e n s i o n o f m e r i t pay r a i s e s , i t 
c o n f l i c t s w i t h § 12 o f t h e 
e n a b l i n g a c t . 
Both s i d e s have o b s e r v e d t h a t the l e g i s l a t u r e 
amended p o r t i o n s o f t h e e n a b l i n g a c t , i n c l u d i n g § 12, t h r o u g h 
two a c t s , b o t h o f which, a f t e r a p p r o v a l by t h e governor became 
e f f e c t i v e a t 6:00 p.m. on May 23, 1977: A c t No. 680 and A c t 
No. 684, A l a . 
A c t s 1977. 
The v e r s i o n s o f § 12 i n t h e s e two 
a c t s a r e somewhat d i f f e r e n t , b u t t h e p a r t i e s agree t h a t t h e 
d i f f e r e n c e s do n o t a f f e c t t h e i s s u e on a p p e a l .
6 
The p o r t i o n 
of § 12 t h e employees 
contend 
c o n f l i c t s 
w i t h Rule 
8.2(c) 
6 T h i s C o u r t has n o t had an o c c a s i o n t o d e t e r m i n e 
w h i c h 
v e r s i o n o f § 12 i s c o n t r o l l i n g , though the C o u r t d i d 
s t a t e i n 
W i l l i s v. K i n c a i d , 983 So. 2d 1100, 1106 ( A l a . 2007), t h a t A c t 
No. 684, A l a . A c t s 1977, c o n t a i n s "the c u r r e n t v e r s i o n o f 
§ 12." 
16 
1100430 
p r o v i d e s 
as 
f o l l o w s 
i n 
A c t 
No. 
680: 
"The 
D i r e c t [ o r ] 
of 
P e r s o n n e l 
s h a l l [ : ] 
[ p ] r o v i d e [ ] , 
by 
p r o p e r 
r u l e s , 
r e g u l a t i o n s , 
and o r d e r s f o r the advancement of s a l a r y 
w i t h i n 
each c l a s s or grade on the b a s i s 
of e f f i c i e n c y and 
l e n g t h 
of 
s e r v i c e . " 
The same p o r t i o n of § 12 i n A c t No. 
684 p r o v i d e s 
as 
f o l l o w s : 
"The 
d i r e c t o r 
of p e r s o n n e l [ , ] 
s u b j e c t 
t o 
the 
p r o v i s i o n s 
of t h i s s u b d i v i s i o n 
and 
a p p r o v a l of 
the 
p e r s o n n e l b o a r d [ , ] 
s h a l l : 
... 
P r o v i d e , by 
p r o p e r 
r u l e s , 
r e g u l a t i o n s , 
and 
o r d e r s 
and 
s p e c i a l 
p r o v i s i o n s 
i n the 
pay 
p l a n 
f o r the advancement 
of 
s a l a r y w i t h i n each c l a s s 
or grade on 
the 
b a s i s 
of 
e f f i c i e n c y 
and 
l e n g t h 
of 
s e r v i c e , 
and 
f o r 
o t h e r 
s p e c i a l c o n d i t i o n s 
and premium r a t e s of 
pay." 
In a n u t s h e l l , the employees' argument can be summarized 
as 
f o l l o w s : 
"The 
p l a i n 
language 
of 
the 
s t a t u t e 
r e q u i r e s 
the 
P e r s o n n e l B o a r d t o implement a system f o r 
' s a l a r y 
advancement' 
t h r o u g h 
the 
pay 
s t e p s 
w i t h i n 
a 
pay 
grade. 
... 
But, 
h a v i n g 
e s t a b l i s h e d 
a system 
f o r 
s a l a r y advancement, the Board i s not a u t h o r i z e d , 
by 
r u l e or o t h e r w i s e , t o g i v e each A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t y 
the 
o p t i o n 
of 
whether 
t o 
implement 
the 
r e q u i r e d 
system 
f o r 
s a l a r y 
advancement 
i n 
a 
g i v e n 
f i s c a l 
y e a r . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
e r r o n e o u s l y 
found 
t h a t 
A p p o i n t i n g A u t h o r i t i e s have the o p t i o n of s u s p e n d i n g 
m e r i t r a i s e s a t 
w i l l . " 
In o t h e r words, the employees c o n t e n d t h a t § 12 r e q u i r e s 
the 
P e r s o n n e l Board and 
a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t i e s t o p r o v i d e m e r i t 
pay r a i s e s t o q u a l i f i e d employees and t h a t the l e g i s l a t u r e d i d 
17 
1100430 
not g i v e those e n t i t i e s the d i s c r e t i o n t o h a l t such r a i s e s f o r 
any r e a s o n . 
The employees f u r t h e r contend t h a t 
" [ t ] h e r e i s no a m b i g u i t y i n t h a t language. And 
t h e r e 
i s n o t h i n g t o suggest t h a t the system f o r s t e p grade 
i n c r e a s e s may 
be 
a t the o p t i o n of each 
A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t y 
t o 
a c c e p t 
or 
r e j e c t . 
There 
are 
two 
c r i t e r i a 
f o r advancement: 
(1) 
' e f f i c i e n c y ' and 
(2) 
' l e n g t h of s e r v i c e . ' W h i l e the 
P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d i s 
g i v e n r u l e making a u t h o r i t y t o implement those 
two 
c r i t e r i a , 
i t does not have the a u t h o r i t y t o add 
t o 
or 
d i m i n i s h 
those 
r e q u i r e m e n t s 
by 
r u l e m a k i n g 
or 
o t h e r 
p o l i c y making a c t i o n . I t c e r t a i n l y does 
not 
have the 
a u t h o r i t y t o g i v e A p p o i n t i n g A u t h o r i t i e s 
the o p t i o n of whether t o comply w i t h the s t a t u t o r y 
d u t y t o implement a Pay 
P l a n 
t h a t i s 
c o n s t r u c t e d 
w i t h s u i t a b l e grades and s t e p s w i t h i n g r a d e . " 
For 
i t s 
p a r t , 
the 
P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d 
contends 
t h a t 
R u l e 8.2(c) c o n s t i t u t e s a l a w f u l i m p l e m e n t a t i o n 
by i t of the 
s t a t e d r e q u i r e m e n t s of § 12 of the e n a b l i n g a c t w i t h r e g a r d t o 
"the advancement of s a l a r y . " 
I t notes t h a t the r u l e p r o v i d e s 
f o r 
r a i s e s w i t h i n the grades of the pay 
s c h e d u l e 
based 
on 
s a t i s f a c t o r y 
p e r f o r m a n c e , 
i . e . , e f f i c i e n c y 
and 
l e n g t h 
of 
s e r v i c e . 
As do the employees, the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d contends 
t h a t the p l a i n language of § 12 s u p p o r t s 
i t s p o s i t i o n : 
"[T]he Employees s i m p l y cannot p o i n t t o any language 
i n the E n a b l i n g A c t t h a t e n t i t l e s them t o mandatory 
s t e p i n c r e a s e s as of 
r i g h t , 
nor 
s t e p i n c r e a s e s 
of 
any p a r t i c u l a r f r e q u e n c y , 
nor s t e p i n c r e a s e s i n any 
p a r t i c u l a r amount. 
The Employees' i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of 
S e c t i o n 
12 
i m p l i e s 
n e g a t i v e 
r e s t r a i n t s 
on 
the 
P e r s o n n e l 
Board's 
r u l e m a k i n g 
power, 
and 
18 
1100430 
n o n d i s c r e t i o n a r y 
d u t i e s on t h e p a r t o f 
A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t i e s , 
t h a t 
s i m p l y 
cannot be found i n t h e 
t e x t . " 
Both s i d e s a r e c o r r e c t t h a t i n i n t e r p r e t i n g a s t a t u t e we 
are bound by t h e p l a i n language o f t h e s t a t u t e . 
" I n Ex p a r t e 
Dorough, 773 So. 2d 1001, 1003 
( A l a . 2000) 
( c i t i n g Ex p a r t e 
P f i z e r , I n c . , 746 So. 
2d 960, 964 ( A l a . 
1 9 9 9 ) ) , t h i s C o u r t s t a t e d : 
"'"'When t h e language o f a s t a t u t e i s 
p l a i n 
and unambiguous, 
... 
c o u r t s 
must 
e n f o r c e t h e s t a t u t e as w r i t t e n by g i v i n g 
the words o f t h e s t a t u t e 
t h e i r 
o r d i n a r y 
p l a i n meaning — 
t h e y must i n t e r p r e t t h a t 
language t o mean e x a c t l y what i t 
says and 
thus g i v e e f f e c t t o t h e a p p a r e n t i n t e n t o f 
the L e g i s l a t u r e . ' ... 
" ' " ' I n 
d e t e r m i n i n g 
t h e 
meaning o f a s t a t u t e , t h i s C o u r t 
l o o k s t o 
t h e p l a i n meaning o f 
t h e 
words 
as 
w r i t t e n 
by 
t h e 
l e g i s l a t u r e . As we have s a i d : 
"'"'"'Words used 
i n 
a s t a t u t e must be g i v e n 
t h e i r 
n a t u r a l , 
p l a i n , 
o r d i n a r y , 
and 
commonly 
u n d e r s t o o d meaning, and 
where p l a i n language i s 
used a c o u r t 
i s bound 
t o 
i n t e r p r e t 
t h a t 
l a n g u a g e 
t o 
mean 
e x a c t l y 
what i t s a y s . 
I f t h e language o f 
t h e 
s t a t u t e i s unambiguous, 
then 
t h e r e 
i s no room 
f o r 
j u d i c i a l 
19 
1100430 
c o n s t r u c t i o n 
and 
the 
c 
l 
e a r l 
y 
e x p r e s s e d 
i n t 
e 
n t 
o f 
t 
h e 
l e g i s l a t u r e 
must 
be 
g i v e n e f f e c t . ' " ' " ' 
" ( C i t a t i o n s 
o m i t t e d . ) " 
Ex p a r t e C i t y o f Orange Beach Bd. of A d j u s t m e n t , 833 So. 2d 
51, 56 ( A l a . 2001). 
Both s i d e s have based t h e i r competing i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s of 
§ 12 not so much on the t e x t of the s t a t u t e , however, as on 
what i t 
does not say. 
The employees c o n t e n d t h a t because § 12 
does not e x p l i c i t l y 
s t a t e 
t h a t the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d has the 
power t o a l l o w 
a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t i e s t o suspend m e r i t pay 
r a i s e s , 
the 
l e g i s l a t u r e made the payment 
o f 
such 
r a i s e s 
mandatory. 
C o n v e r s e l y , the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d contends 
t h a t 
because 
§ 12 
does 
not 
p r o h i b i t 
the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d 
from 
a l l o w i n g a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t i e s t o suspend m e r i t r a i s e s , the 
l e g i s l a t u r e i n t e n d e d t o a l l o w the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d d i s c r e t i o n 
on t h i s 
s u b j e c t . 
Both 
s i d e s 
c i t e 
r u l e s 
of 
s t a t u t o r y 
c o n s t r u c t i o n 
i n 
s u p p o r t of t h e i r d i v e r g e n t arguments based on the s i l e n c e of 
the 
s t a t u t e . 
The 
employees 
r e l y 
upon 
the 
s t a t u t o r y 
c o n s t r u c t i o n maxim o f e x p r e s s i o 
u n i u s e s t e x c l u s i o 
a l t e r i u s , 
20 
1100430 
" t o e x p r e s s o r i n c l u d e one t h i n g i m p l i e s t h e e x c l u s i o n o f 
t h e 
o t h e r . " 
B l a c k ' s Law D i c t i o n a r y 661 ( 9 t h 
ed. 2009). 
See a l s o 
J e f f e r s o n Cnty. v. Alabama C r i m i n a l J u s t i c e I n f o . C t r . 
Comm'n, 
620 So. 2d 651, 658 ( A l a . 1993) ( s t a t i n g t h a t "the e x p r e s s 
i n c l u s i o n o f r e q u i r e m e n t s i n 
t h e law i m p l i e s an i n t e n t i o n t o 
e x c l u d e o t h e r r e q u i r e m e n t s n o t so i n c l u d e d " ) . The employees 
r e a s o n t h a t t h e i n c l u s i o n i n 
§ 12 o f t h e e n a b l i n g a c t 
o f 
t h e 
r e q u i r e m e n t 
t h a t t h e P e r s o n n e l B o a r d c r e a t e 
a scheme f o r 
s a l a r y advancements n e c e s s a r i l y i m p l i e s an i n t e n t i o n by t h e 
l e g i s l a t u r e 
t o e x c l u d e t h e power 
t o suspend such 
s a l a r y 
advancements f o r any r e a s o n . 
T h i s 
l o g i c does n o t f o l l o w , 
however. 
The maxim a t i s s u e g e n e r a l l y a p p l i e s o n l y when a s t a t u t e 
or r u l e u t i l i z e s a l i s t i n g o r group o f t h i n g s . 
F u r t h e r , i t 
a p p l i e s 
o n l y when t h e " t h i n g s " 
e x p r e s s e d a r e o f t h e same 
n a t u r e as " o t h e r s " 
t h a t have been e x c l u d e d . I n B a r n h a r t v. 
Peabody C o a l Co., 537 U.S. 149, 168 (2003), t h e U n i t e d 
S t a t e s 
Supreme C o u r t 
e x p l a i n e d : 
"As we have h e l d 
r e p e a t e d l y , 
t h e canon 
e x p r e s s i o 
 
u n i u s e s t e x c l u s i o a l t e r i u s does n o t a p p l y t o e v e r y 
s t a t u t o r y 
l i s t i n g o r g r o u p i n g ; i t 
has f o r c e 
o n l y 
when 
t h e 
items 
e x p r e s s e d 
a r e members 
o f 
an 
' a s s o c i a t e d 
group 
o r 
s e r i e s , ' 
j u s t i f y i n g 
t h e 
21 
1100430 
i n f e r e n c e t h a t items not mentioned were e x c l u d e d by 
d e l i b e r a t e c h o i c e , not i n a d v e r t e n c e . " 
(Emphasis added.) 
See a l s o C a r v e r v. Lehman, 558 F.3d 869, 
876 n.13 
(9th C i r . 2009) (to same e f f e c t as B a r n h a r t ) ; 
2A 
Norman J . S i n g e r & J.D. Shambie S i n g e r , S u t h e r l a n d 
S t a t u t o r y 
C o n s t r u c t i o n § 47:23 (7th 
ed. 2009) ( e x p l a i n i n g t h a t t h e maxim 
"has 
f o r c e o n l y when t h e items 
e x p r e s s e d 
a r e members of an 
a s s o c i a t e d group or s e r i e s , j u s t i f y i n g t h e i n f e r e n c e t h a t the 
items 
not mentioned were 
e x c l u d e d 
by 
d e l i b e r a t e 
c h o i c e " 
(emphasis a d d e d ) ) . 
Here, 
t h e r e 
i s o n l y 
a g e n e r a l 
r e q u i r e m e n t 
t h a t t h e 
P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d 
adopt 
a scheme 
f o r "the advancement o f 
s a l a r y . " 
The e n a b l i n g a c t does not a u t h o r i z e o r p r e s c r i b e 
s p e c i f i c 
a t t r i b u t e s 
of t h e scheme 
so as t o 
j u s t i f y 
an 
i m p l i c a t i o n t h a t t h e l e g i s l a t u r e 
i n t e n d e d t o e x c l u d e 
o t h e r 
a t t r i b u t e s not e x p r e s s l y 
a u t h o r i z e d or p r e s c r i b e d . 
Among 
o t h e r t h i n g s , i t 
c o n t a i n s no s p e c i f i c s as t o t h e s c h e d u l e upon 
w h i c h s a l a r i e s must advance
7 o r i n what amounts. 
In s h o r t , 
7The o n l y r e f e r e n c e t o t i m i n g o r f r e q u e n c y 
i s found i n 
§ 12 o f t h e e n a b l i n g a c t as amended by A c t No. 684, which 
p r o v i d e s f o r the g r a d i n g and c l a s s i f i c a t i o n of p o s i t i o n s by 
the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d " a t l e a s t once e v e r y 
f i v e 
y e a r s . " 
22 
1100430 
t h e r e i s 
no group o r s e r i e s o f t h i n g s e x p r e s s e d i n 
a way t h a t 
p r o v i d e s a p r e d i c a t e f o r 
the o p e r a t i o n o f t h e maxim. 
In a d d i t i o n , the 
maxim i s 
o f l i t t l e h e l p i n t h i s case 
f o r 
an even more fundamental 
r e a s o n : 
" ' S e v e r a l L a t i n maxims masquerade as r u l e s o f 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n 
w h i l e 
d o i n g 
n o t h i n g 
more 
than 
d e s c r i b i n g r e s u l t s r e a c h e d by o t h e r means. The b e s t 
example i s p r o b a b l y 
e x p r e s s i o 
u n i u s e s t e x c l u s i o  
a l t e r i u s , which i s a r a t h e r e l a b o r a t e , 
m y s t e r i o u s 
s o u n d i n g , and a n a c h r o n i s t i c way o f d e s c r i b i n g t h e 
n e g a t i v e 
i m p l i c a t i o n . F a r from b e i n g a r u l e , i t i s 
not even l e x i c o g r a p h i c a l l y 
a c c u r a t e , because i t i s 
s i m p l y not t r u e , g e n e r a l l y , t h a t the mere 
e x p r e s s 
c o n f e r r a l o f a r i g h t o r p r i v i l e g e i n one k i n d o f 
s i t u a t i o n i m p l i e s t h e d e n i a l o f the e q u i v a l e n t 
r i g h t 
or p r i v i l e g e i n o t h e r k i n d s . Sometimes i t 
does and 
sometimes i t 
does n o t , and whether i t 
does o r does 
not 
depends 
on t h e p a r t i c u l a r 
c i r c u m s t a n c e s 
o f 
c o n t e x t . 
W i t h o u t 
c o n t e x t u a l 
s u p p o r t , 
t h e r e f o r e , 
t h e r e 
i s n o t 
even 
a 
m i l d 
p r e s u m p t i o n 
h e r e . 
A c c o r d i n g l y , 
t h i s maxim i s a t b e s t a d e s c r i p t i o n , 
a f t e r t h e f a c t , o f what t h e c o u r t has 
d i s c o v e r e d 
from c o n t e x t . ' R. D i c k e r s o n , The I n t e r p r e t a t i o n and 
 
A p p l i c a t i o n o f S t a t u t e s 234-35 
(1975)." 
U n i t e d 
S t a t e s v. C a s t r o , 837 F.2d 441, 443 n.2 (11th C i r . 
1988). 
The 
P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d 
c i t e s t h e more s p e c i f i c 
r u l e t h a t 
" [ t ] h e p e r s o n n e l board's i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f [the e n a b l i n g a c t ] , 
a l t h o u g h 
n o t c o n c l u s i v e , i s n o n e t h e l e s s 
e n t i t l e d t o g r e a t 
d e f e r e n c e 
from 
t h i s C o u r t w i t h 
r e s p e c t t o t h e q u e s t i o n o f 
l e g i s l a t i v e 
i n t e n t . " 
Smith v. C i t y o f P l e a s a n t Grove, 672 
23 
1100430 
So. 
2d 501, 
506 
( A l a . 1995). 
T h i s r u l e i s not 
p a r t i c u l a r l y 
h e l p f u l i n t h i s i n s t a n c e , however, because " [ t ] h e 
t r a d i t i o n a l 
d e f e r e n c e g i v e n an a d m i n i s t r a t i v e agency's i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of 
a s t a t u t e 
a p p r o p r i a t e l y 
e x i s t s 
... when the 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n 
does 
not 
exceed 
the 
agency's 
s t a t u t o r y 
a u t h o r i t y 
( i . e . , 
j u r i s d i c t i o n ) . " 
Ex p a r t e S t a t e H e a l t h P l a n n i n g 
& Dev. Agency, 
855 
So. 
2d 1098, 
1102 
( A l a . 2002). 
The whole t h r u s t of 
the 
employees' argument i s t h a t the P e r s o n n e l Board does not have 
the 
s t a t u t o r y a u t h o r i t y t o g r a n t a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t i e s 
the 
power t o suspend m e r i t pay 
r a i s e s . 
S e t t l i n g the d i s p u t e over the two arguments on the 
b a s i s 
of the 
s i l e n c e of the 
s t a t u t e 
r e q u i r e s adherence t o 
" [ t ] h e 
p o l e s t a r of s t a t u t o r y c o n s t r u c t i o n [which] i s t o a s c e r t a i n 
and 
g i v e 
e f f e c t 
t o 
the 
L e g i s l a t u r e ' s 
i n t e n t 
i n 
e n a c t i n g 
a 
s t a t u t e . " 
Ex p a r t e B e r r y h i l l , 801 So. 2d 7, 9-10 
( A l a . 2001). 
D i v i n i n g the 
l e g i s l a t u r e ' s i n t e n t e n t a i l s e x a m i n i n g § 12 
i n 
the 
c o n t e x t of the 
e n a b l i n g 
a c t as a whole. 
As 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
s t a t e d i n a p r e v i o u s case i n w h i c h i t d e t e r m i n e d t h a t a r u l e 
p r o m u l g a t e d 
by 
the 
M o b i l e County 
P e r s o n n e l B o a r d 
d i d 
not 
v i o l a t e the e n a b l i n g a c t t h a t c r e a t e d t h a t b o a r d : 
" I n s t e a d 
of 
t a k i n g 
one 
i s o l a t e d and 
n a r r o w l y c o n s t r u e d s e n t e n c e 
of 
[a 
24 
1100430 
s e c t i o n 
i n 
the 
s t a t u t e ] , 
we 
s h o u l d 
l o o k 
t o 
the 
e n t i r e 
framework of the a c t , the i n t e n t s and purposes of the a c t and 
the means by which i t has been g i v e n c o n s t r u c t i o n , e f f e c t 
and 
o p e r a t i o n d u r i n g i t s y e a r s of e x i s t e n c e . " 
J o r d a n v. C i t y of 
M o b i l e , 260 A l a . 393, 
401, 
71 So. 2d 513, 
520 
(1954). 
See, 
e.g., 
B e r r y h i l l , 801 So. 2d a t 11 
( s t a t i n g t h a t we must " g i v e 
e f f e c t t o the l e g i s l a t i v e i n t e n t ... as may 
be i n f e r r e d from 
the language used as w e l l as from the reason 
f o r the 
a c t " 
(emphasis o m i t t e d ) ) ; Ex p a r t e J a c k s o n , 
614 
So. 
2d 405, 
406 
( A l a . 
1993) 
( o b s e r v i n g 
t h a t 
" [ b ] e c a u s e 
the 
meaning 
of 
s t a t u t o r y language depends on c o n t e x t , a s t a t u t e i s t o be r e a d 
as a 
w h o l e " ) . 
"Act No. 248 
[the e n a b l i n g a c t ] , e n a c t e d i n 1945 
as a ' g e n e r a l law of 
l o c a l 
a p p l i c a t i o n , ' 
p r o v i d e s 
f o r the c r e a t i o n and e s t a b l i s h m e n t of a county-wide 
c i v i l 
s e r v i c e 
system 
and 
a 
p e r s o n n e l 
b o a r d 
i n 
c o u n t i e s 
h a v i n g 
a p o p u l a t i o n 
of 400,000 or more, 
whose d u t i e s i n c l u d e the d e t e r m i n a t i o n 
of 
' s a l a r y 
income' f o r c l a s s i f i e d 
c i v i l s e r v i c e employees." 
County Comm'n of J e f f e r s o n Cnty. v. F r a t e r n a l Order of P o l i c e , 
Lodge No. 
64, 558 So. 2d 893, 895 
( A l a . 1989) . T h i s C o u r t 
has 
s t a t e d t h a t the e n a b l i n g a c t v e s t s the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d " w i t h 
b r o a d power and a u t h o r i t y t o e s t a b l i s h r u l e s and r e g u l a t i o n s 
n e c e s s a r y 
t o 
govern 
and 
c o n t r o l 
' a l l employees 
h o l d i n g 
25 
1100430 
p o s i t i o n s i n the 
c l a s s i f i e d s e r v i c e o f ' J e f f e r s o n County 
and 
a l l 
m u n i c i p a l i t i e s 
w i t h i n 
t h a t 
c o u n t y . " 
Henderson 
v. 
 
A r r i n g t o n , 
392 
So. 
2d 806, 
808 
( A l a . 1980) 
(emphasis added). 
In f a c t , " w i t h i n the framework of an e n a b l i n g a c t and p u r s u a n t 
t o i t s d i r e c t i o n s , an a d m i n i s t r a t i v e agency's power t o adopt 
a d m i n i s t r a t i v e 
r u l e s 
a d d r e s s i n g 
an 
a r e a 
of 
c o n c e r n 
' i s 
g e n e r a l l y c o - e x t e n s i v e 
w i t h t h a t of the l e g i s l a t u r e t o speak 
on the q u e s t i o n . ' " 
M o b i l e F i r e F i g h t e r s Ass'n v. 
P e r s o n n e l  
Bd. of M o b i l e Cnty., 720 So. 2d 932, 
938 
( A l a . C i v . App. 
1998) 
( q u o t i n g 
M a r c e t 
v. 
B o a r d 
of 
Plumbers 
E x a m i n a t i o n 
& 
 
R e g i s t r a t i o n of Alabama, 249 A l a . 48, 
50, 
29 So. 
2d 333, 
335 
(1947)). 
Thus, we 
s t a r t w i t h 
the 
r e c o g n i t i o n 
t h a t we must 
i n t e r p r e t 
the 
e n a b l i n g 
a c t w i t h 
the 
i d e a 
i n mind t h a t 
the 
l e g i s l a t u r e sought t o g i v e 
the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d b r o a d powers 
f o r 
r e g u l a t i n g 
J e f f e r s o n 
County's 
c i v i l - s e r v i c e 
system, 
" i n c l u d [ i n g ] 
the 
d e t e r m i n a t i o n 
of 
' s a l a r y 
income' 
f o r 
c l a s s i f i e d 
c i v i l 
s e r v i c e 
employees." 
County Comm'n 
of 
 
J e f f e r s o n Cnty., 558 
So. 
2d a t 
895. 
G i v e n the n a t u r e of an e n a b l i n g 
a c t and the b r o a d powers 
g e n e r a l l y 
c o n f e r r e d 
t o 
an 
a d m i n i s t r a t i v e 
agency -- 
and 
t o 
p e r s o n n e l boards i n p a r t i c u l a r -- t h e r e u n d e r , i t s h o u l d not 
be 
26 
1100430 
s u r p r i s i n g 
t h a t on two 
s e p a r a t e o c c a s i o n s our c o u r t s have 
r e j e c t e d arguments s i m i l a r t o t h a t of the employees, i . e . , the 
c o n t e n t i o n t h a t the f a i l u r e of an e n a b l i n g a c t t o e x p r e s s l y 
s t a t e t h a t a p e r s o n n e l b o a r d p o s s e s s e d a c e r t a i n power meant 
t h a t i t was p r o h i b i t e d from t a k i n g a c e r t a i n 
a c t i o n . 
" I n J o r d a n 
[v. C i t y of M o b i l e , 260 A l a . 393, 
400, 71 So. 2d 513 ( 1 9 5 4 ) ] , our Supreme C o u r t u p h e l d 
the v a l i d i t y of [ M o b i l e County P e r s o n n e l ] Board R u l e 
14.7, 
p r o v i d i n g 
t h a t 
a p p e a l s 
t o 
the 
Board 
from 
d i s c i p l i n a r y 
d e c i s i o n s 
made 
by 
a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t i e s 
s h a l l be h e a r d de novo, and 
t h a t 
t h e 
Board 
can 
r e s c i n d , 
m o d i f y , 
a l t e r , 
o r 
a f f i r m 
the 
p e n a l t y imposed or impose an a d d i t i o n a l or d i f f e r e n t 
p e n a l t y as may be w a r r a n t e d by the e v i d e n c e adduced 
a t the h e a r i n g . N o t a b l y , the J o r d a n 
c o u r t u p h e l d 
R u l e 14.7 d e s p i t e the absence of any language i n § 
X X I I o f the A c t , which p e r t a i n s t o d i s m i s s a l , 
t h a t 
would e x p r e s s l y a l l o w the Board t o do a n y t h i n g o t h e r 
than r e i n s t a t e a d i s m i s s e d employee." 
M o b i l e F i r e F i g h t e r s A s s ' n , 720 So. 2d a t 938. 
S p e c i f i c a l l y , 
the J o r d a n C o u r t s t a t e d : 
"We 
do 
not c o n s i d e r t h a t the mere 
f a c t 
t h a t 
the 
l e g i s l a t u r e saw 
f i t t o d e c l a r e by S e c t i o n 22(a) what 
the judgment o f the b o a r d s h o u l d be when a 
charge 
a g a i n s t an employee i s p r o v e n unwarranted, t h a t t h i s 
i n h i b i t s 
the b o a r d o r 
l i m i t s 
i t s powers t o 
adopt 
r u l e s 
g o v e r n i n g 
cases 
where 
the 
grounds 
f o r 
d i s m i s s a l 
are 
t e c h n i c a l 
or 
the 
cause 
t h e r e f o r 
t r i v i a l , f o l l o w e d by s e v e r e and e x c e s s i v e punishment 
by the a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y , namely, the c i t y o r the 
c o u n t y . " 
27 
1100430 
260 A l a . a t 400, 71 So. 2d a t 519. 
L i k e w i s e , i n M o b i l e 
F i r e 
 
F i g h t e r s A s s ' n , t h e C o u r t o f C i v i l 
A p p e a l s , 
e m u l a t i n g the 
r e a s o n i n g i n J o r d a n , c o n c l u d e d t h a t the f a c t " [ t ] h a t t h e A c t ' s 
s e c t i o n [Act 
No. 470 o f t h e 1939 Alabama L e g i s l a t u r e , w h i c h 
s e t s 
f o r t h t h e powers and d u t i e s o f t h e P e r s o n n e l 
Board o f 
M o b i l e 
County] 
l a b e l e d 
'Promotion' 
does n o t 
s p e c i f i c a l l y 
p r o v i d e f o r f i n a l 
s e l e c t i o n o f a c e r t i f i e d c a n d i d a t e by an 
a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y does n o t l i m i t the Board's d i s c r e t i o n t o 
p r o v i d e 
f o r such a r e s u l t 
t h r o u g h i t s r u l e m a k i n g 
power." 
M o b i l e 
F i r e F i g h t e r s A s s ' n , 720 So. 2d a t 939. 
A p e r u s a l o f t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e e n a b l i n g a c t c o n f i r m s 
t h a t t h e l e g i s l a t u r e c o n f e r r e d b r o a d d i s c r e t i o n a r y 
powers upon 
the P e r s o n n e l Board. 
The t i t l e o f t h e e n a b l i n g a c t p r o v i d e s , 
i n 
p a r t , t h a t the purpose o f the a c t was " [ t ] o c r e a t e and 
e s t a b l i s h i n each county i n 
Alabama w h i c h has a p o p u l a t i o n o f 
400,000 o r more ... a county-wide C i v i l S e r v i c e System ... and 
t o 
c r e a t e 
a 
P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d and o t h e r 
a g e n c i e s 
f o r t h e 
s u p e r v i s i o n and a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f s a i d System i n each o f such 
c o u n t i e s 
" 
S e c t i o n 2 o f t h e e n a b l i n g a c t , e n t i t l e d 
" P e r s o n n e l Board: e x t e n t o f i t s a u t h o r i t y d e f i n e d , " as amended 
by A c t No. 677, A l a . A c t s 1977, p r o v i d e s i n p a r t t h a t 
28 
1100430 
" [ i ] n and f o r 
each s e p a r a t e c o u n t y o f t h e S t a t e 
of Alabama which has a p o p u l a t i o n o f f o u r 
hundred 
thousand o r more p e o p l e a c c o r d i n g t o t h e l a s t o r any 
f u t u r e 
f e d e r a l census, t h e r e s h a l l be a p e r s o n n e l 
b o a r d f o r t h e government and c o n t r o l by r u l e s and 
r e g u l a t i o n s and p r a c t i c e s 
h e r e i n a f t e r s e t out o r 
a u t h o r i z e d o f a l l 
employees and a p p o i n t e e s h o l d i n g 
p o s i t i o n s i n 
t h e c l a s s i f i e d s e r v i c e o f such c o u n t i e s 
and 
t h e 
m u n i c i p a l i t i e s 
t h e r e i n 
... 
and 
such 
p e r s o n n e l b o a r d i s 
v e s t e d w i t h such power, a u t h o r i t y 
and 
j u r i s d i c t i o n . " 
A c t No. 677, A l a . A c t s 1977, § 2.
8 
Thus, t h e P e r s o n n e l B o a r d 
i s 
v e s t e d w i t h t h e a u t h o r i t y 
t o govern 
and c o n t r o l t h e 
employees i n the 
c i v i l - s e r v i c e 
system 
t h r o u g h 
r u l e s 
and 
r e g u l a t i o n s i t p r o m u l g a t e s . 
8 S i m i l a r t o t h e s i t u a t i o n w i t h § 12 o f t h e e n a b l i n g 
a c t 
o u t l i n e d above, two d i f f e r e n t v e r s i o n s o f § 2 o f t h e 
e n a b l i n g 
a c t 
a l s o e x i s t because t h e l e g i s l a t u r e l i k e w i s e e n a c t e d two 
a c t s amending t h a t s e c t i o n a t t h e same t i m e . 
S e c t i o n 2, as 
amended by A c t No. 
782, A l a . A c t s 
1977, 
reads 
a l m o s t 
i d e n t i c a l l y t o § 2 as amended by A c t 
No. 677, i n r e g a r d t o 
the 
q u o t e d passage, 
p r o v i d i n g : 
"In and f o r 
each s e p a r a t e county o f t h e S t a t e o f 
Alabama 
which has a p o p u l a t i o n o f f o u r 
hundred 
thousand o r more i n h a b i t a n t s a c c o r d i n g t o t h e l a s t 
or 
any f u t u r e 
f e d e r a l 
census, 
t h e r e 
s h a l l 
be a 
p e r s o n n e l b o a r d f o r 
t h e government and c o n t r o l , by 
r u l e s and r e g u l a t i o n s and p r a c t i c e s h e r e i n a f t e r s e t 
out 
o r 
a u t h o r i z e 
[ s i c ] , 
o f a l l employees 
and 
a p p o i n t e e s 
h o l d i n g 
p o s i t i o n s 
i n t h e 
c l a s s i f i e d 
s e r v i c e o f such 
c o u n t i e s , 
... and such p e r s o n n e l 
b o a r d i s v e s t e d w i t h 
such powers, 
a u t h o r i t y and 
j u r i s d i c t i o n . " 
A c t No. 782, A l a . A c t s 1977, § 2. 
29 
1100430 
Both v e r s i o n s o f § 12 o f t h e e n a b l i n g a c t — 
i n 
A c t No. 
680 and A c t No. 684 — 
p r o v i d e f u r t h e r c o n f i r m a t i o n 
t h a t t h e 
l e g i s l a t u r e e n t r u s t e d t h e P e r s o n n e l B o a r d w i t h b r o a d powers i n 
r e g a r d t o r e g u l a t i n g 
t h e c i v i l - s e r v i c e employment 
system. 
S e c t i o n 12, as amended i n 
A c t 
No. 680, i s e n t i t l e d "Pay P l a n , " 
and 
i t p r o v i d e s i n p e r t i n e n t 
p a r t as f o l l o w s : 
"The 
D i r e c t [ o r ] o f P e r s o n n e l s h a l l E s t a b l i s h , 
a f t e r  
c o n s u l t a t i o n 
o r 
o f f e r 
o f 
c o n s u l t a t i o n 
w i t h 
t h e  
g o v e r n i n g b o d i e s a f f e c t e d , a s a l a r y s c h e d u l e f o r a l l 
 
p o s i t i o n s 
which 
s h a l l 
c o n t a i n 
a minimum 
r a t e , 
a 
 
maximum 
r a t e 
and such 
i n t e r m e d i a t e 
r a t e s 
as a r e  
deemed n e c e s s a r y by t h e P e r s o n n e l Board[,] 
w h i c h 
s h a l l become 
e f f e c t i v e 
w i t h i n 
t h i r t y 
days 
a f t e r 
s u b m i s s i o n t o t h e g o v e r n i n g body concerned, p r o v i d e d 
t h a t 
t h e 
g o v e r n i n g 
body 
o f 
each 
c o u n t y 
and 
 
m u n i c i p a l i t y a f f e c t e d hereby may r a i s e o r lower such  
s c h e d u l e by a p p l y i n g t h e same p e r c e n t a g e i n c r e a s e o r  
d e c r e a s e , o r f l a t sum o f i n c r e a s e 
o r d e c r e a s e , o r  
any 
c o m b i n a t i o n 
t h e r e o f , 
t o each p o s i t i o n i n t h e 
 
e n t i r e 
s c h e d u l e ; 
.... 
Changes 
i n the 
s a l a r y 
 
s c h e d u l e o f one c l a s s o r a number o f c l a s s e s 
l e s s 
 
than a l l may a l s o be made by o r d e r o r r e s o l u t i o n o f  
a g o v e r n i n g body as f o l l o w s : A 
c e r t i f i e d copy o f 
such o r d e r o r r e s o l u t i o n 
s h a l l be 
f i l e d 
w i t h the 
P e r s o n n e l Board, and u n l e s s t h e s a i d r e s o l u t i o n o r 
o r d e r be d i s a p p r o v e d by s a i d P e r s o n n e l B o a r d w i t h i n 
t h i r t y 
days 
a f t e r 
t h e date 
o f 
f i l i n g 
o f 
such 
c e r t i f i e d copy t h e same s h a l l be v a l i d and 
o p e r a t i v e 
a c c o r d i n g t o i t s 
terms. 
... P r o v i d e d 
[ s i c ] , 
by  
p r o p e r 
r u l e s , 
r e g u l a t i o n s , 
and 
o r d e r s 
f o r t h e  
advancement o f s a l a r y w i t h i n each c l a s s o r grade on  
the 
b a s i s o f e f f i c i e n c y and l e n g t h o f s e r v i c e . I t 
s h a l l be u n l a w f u l f o r an A p p o i n t i n g 
A u t h o r i t y 
o r 
d i s b u r s i n g 
o f f i c e r t o pay o r cause t o be p a i d a 
s a l a r y t o any employee g r e a t e r than o r l e s s than t h e 
s a l a r y t o w h i c h such employee i s e n t i t l e d t o so 
30 
1100430 
r e c e i v e . Such s a l a r y s c h e d u l e s , c l a s s e s and 
grades 
 
may 
from 
time 
t o 
time 
be 
amended, 
added 
t o , 
 
c o n s o l i d a t e d or a b o l i s h e d by the Board." 
(Emphasis added.) 
S e c t i o n 
12, 
as amended i n A c t 
No. 
684, 
i s 
e n t i t l e d 
" D u t i e s of p e r s o n n e l d i r e c t o r , " and i t p r o v i d e s i n p e r t i n e n t 
p a r t as 
f o l l o w s : 
"The d i r e c t o r of p e r s o n n e l s u b j e c t t o the p r o v i s i o n s 
of 
t h i s 
s u b d i v i s i o n and a p p r o v a l o f t h e p e r s o n n e l 
b o a r d 
s h a l l : 
... 
A t l e a s t once e v e r y 
f i v e 
y e a r s , 
grade 
and 
c l a s s i f y 
or 
d i r e c t 
the 
g r a d i n g 
and 
 
c l a s s i f i c a t i o n of a l l p o s i t i o n s i n the county and i n  
each 
c i t y 
i n the 
county 
and 
f o r each 
a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t y w i t h r e s p e c t t o s a l a r y t o the end 
t h a t  
each employee s h a l l r e c e i v e the same compensation 
as 
 
a l l o t h e r employees of t h e s a i d county or c i t y or  
a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y r e c e i v e f o r the same grade 
and 
 
c l a s s 
of s e r v i c e . 
The 
q u e s t i o n whether or not 
an 
employee has been a s s i g n e d t o the p r o p e r c l a s s 
and 
grade 
s h a l l be a m a t t e r s u b j e c t t o the d e c i s i o n o f 
the b o a r d . 
E s t a b l i s h , 
a f t e r 
c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h the 
g o v e r n i n g b o d i e s 
a f f e c t e d , 
a pay 
p l a n and 
s a l a r y 
 
s c h e d u l e 
f o r a l l p o s i t i o n s which 
s h a l l 
c o n t a i n a  
minimum r a t e , a maximum r a t e and such i n t e r m e d i a t e  
and premium r a t e s as are deemed n e c e s s a r y by 
the 
 
p e r s o n n e l b o a r d , which s h a l l become e f f e c t i v e w i t h i n 
t h i r t y days a f t e r s u b m i s s i o n t o the g o v e r n i n g body 
concerned, p r o v i d e d t h a t the g o v e r n i n g body o f each  
c o u n t y and m u n i c i p a l i t y a f f e c t e d hereby may 
r a i s e or  
l o w e r such s c h e d u l e by a p p l y i n g the same p e r c e n t a g e  
i n c r e a s e 
or 
d e c r e a s e 
t o 
the 
e n t i r e 
s c h e d u l e , 
p r o v i d e d , however, no 
g o v e r n i n g body 
s h a l l 
r a i s e 
such e n t i r e s c h e d u l e w i t h i n t w e l v e months a f t e r the 
a d o p t i o n of a new s a l a r y s c h e d u l e , nor w i t h i n t w e l v e 
months i m m e d i a t e l y p r e c e d i n g any p r i m a r y or g e n e r a l 
e l e c t i o n s i n which the members o f the s a i d g o v e r n i n g 
body are t o be e l e c t e d , e x c e p t upon the a p p r o v a l of 
31 
1100430 
the 
p e r s o n n e l 
b o a r d 
.... 
Changes 
i n 
the 
s a l a r y 
 
s c h e d u l e on 
one 
c l a s s or a number of 
c l a s s e s 
l e s s 
 
than a l l may 
a l s o be made by o r d e r or r e s o l u t i o n 
of  
a g o v e r n i n g body as 
f o l l o w s : 
A 
c e r t i f i e d copy 
of 
such o r d e r 
or 
r e s o l u t i o n 
s h a l l 
be 
f i l e d 
w i t h 
the 
p e r s o n n e l b o a r d , and u n l e s s the 
s a i d r e s o l u t i o n 
or 
o r d e r be d i s a p p r o v e d by s a i d p e r s o n n e l b o a r d w i t h i n 
t h i r t y 
days 
a f t e r 
the 
date 
of 
f i l i n g 
of 
such 
c e r t i f i e d copy the same s h a l l be v a l i d and 
o p e r a t i v e 
a c c o r d i n g t o i t s terms.... P r o v i d e , 
by p r o p e r r u l e s ,  
r e g u l a t i o n s , 
and 
o r d e r s and 
s p e c i a l p r o v i s i o n s 
i n 
 
the 
pay 
p l a n 
f o r the advancement of 
s a l a r y 
w i t h i n  
each c l a s s or grade on the b a s i s 
of e f f i c i e n c y 
and  
l e n g t h of s e r v i c e , and 
f o r o t h e r s p e c i a l 
c o n d i t i o n s 
 
and premium r a t e s of pay. 
I t s h a l l be u n l a w f u l 
f o r 
an a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t y or d i s b u r s i n g o f f i c e r t o 
pay 
or cause t o be p a i d a s a l a r y t o any employee 
g r e a t e r 
than or l e s s than the s a l a r y t o w h i c h such employee 
i s e n t i t l e d t o so r e c e i v e . Such pay 
p l a n and 
s a l a r y 
 
s c h e d u l e s , c l a s s e s and grades may 
from time t o time  
be amended, added t o , c o n s o l i d a t e d 
or a b o l i s h e d 
by 
 
the b o a r d . " 
(Emphasis added.) 
Under § 12 of the e n a b l i n g 
a c t , the p e r s o n n e l d i r e c t o r , 
w i t h the a p p r o v a l of the p e r s o n n e l b o a r d , must c r e a t e a grade 
a c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s t r u c t u r e f o r a l l c l a s s i f i e d employees, must 
e s t a b l i s h 
a 
pay 
p l a n 
and 
a 
s a l a r y 
s c h e d u l e 
f o r 
a l l such 
employees, and must p r o v i d e w i t h i n 
the 
pay 
p l a n 
by 
p r o p e r 
r u l e s and 
r e g u l a t i o n s 
" f o r the advancement of s a l a r y 
w i t h i n 
each c l a s s or grade on the b a s i s of e f f i c i e n c y and 
l e n g t h 
of 
s e r v i c e . " 
S e c t i o n 
12 e x p r e s s l y empowers the g o v e r n i n g b o d i e s 
w i t h i n each county and m u n i c i p a l i t y r e g u l a t e d by the 
e n a b l i n g 
32 
1100430 
a c t t o r a i s e o r l o w e r the e n t i r e s a l a r y s c h e d u l e ; t h e y a l s o 
are p e r m i t t e d t o change t h e s a l a r y s c h e d u l e of one o r more, 
b u t fewer than a l l , c l a s s e s w i t h i n the s c h e d u l e , p r o v i d e d the 
p e r s o n n e l b o a r d does not d i s a p p r o v e of such a change. 
F i n a l l y , 
the p e r s o n n e l b o a r d i s e x p r e s s l y g r a n t e d the power t o amend, 
add 
t o , 
c o n s o l i d a t e , 
or 
a b o l i s h 
the 
pay 
p l a n , 
s a l a r y 
s c h e d u l e s , c l a s s e s , and g r a d e s . 
G i v e n 
the 
purpose 
of 
the 
e n a b l i n g 
a c t , 
the 
b r o a d 
parameters of the s t a t u t o r y scheme, and the p e r t i n e n t p o r t i o n s 
of § 12 -- a l l 
o u t l i n e d above -- t h e e r r o n e o u s n a t u r e o f the 
employees' 
argument becomes 
a p p a r e n t . 
In 
e s s e n c e , 
the 
employees contend t h a t w i t h i n an a c t i n which the l e g i s l a t u r e 
i n t e n d e d t o p r o v i d e the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d w i t h b r o a d powers t o 
r e g u l a t e 
the 
c i v i l - s e r v i c e 
system 
-- 
i n c l u d i n g 
i t s 
compensation scheme -- 
t h e r e q u i r e m e n t t h a t the p e r s o n n e l 
d i r e c t o r , w i t h the P e r s o n n e l Board's a p p r o v a l , must p r o v i d e 
f o r some k i n d of mechanism o f s a l a r y advancement based 
on 
e f f i c i e n c y 
and 
l e n g t h of s e r v i c e 
i m p l i c i t l y 
p r o h i b i t s 
the 
P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d 
from 
a l l o w i n g 
a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t i e s 
t o 
suspend a c r o s s - t h e - b o a r d m e r i t pay r a i s e s f o r 
c i v i l - s e r v i c e 
employees f o r a p e r i o d . 
In o t h e r words, the employees urge an 
33 
1100430 
emphasis on the l i m i t a t i o n of power i n a s t a t u t e d e s i g n e d t o 
g r a n t b r o a d 
d i s c r e t i o n . 
The 
g e n e r a l 
purpose 
of 
the 
e n a b l i n g 
a c t 
and 
the 
d i s c r e t i o n the employees admit the P e r s o n n e l Board 
p o s s e s s e s 
t o make r u l e s c o n c e r n i n g s a l a r y advances c e r t a i n l y c a s t doubt 
upon the employees' p o s i t i o n . 
Indeed, the r e q u i r e m e n t 
f o r a 
mechanism 
f o r 
s a l a r y 
advancement 
i s so 
g e n e r i c 
t h a t 
the 
employees admit t h a t the P e r s o n n e l Board has the d i s c r e t i o n t o 
d e t e r m i n e 
how 
i t i s implemented, i . e . , t o d e c i d e upon 
the 
" g r a d i n g " and 
" c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s " t o be used, t o d e t e r m i n e 
the 
amount t o be p a i d t o employees i n d i f f e r e n t 
" s t e p s " w i t h i n 
t h e s e 
c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s and g r a d i n g s , and t o d e l e g a t e t o 
the 
a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t i e s 
the 
d i s c r e t i o n 
t o 
d e c i d e 
what 
c o n s t i t u t e s " e f f i c i e n t " s e r v i c e by an employee. 
More h a r m f u l t o the employees' argument, however, i s the 
f a c t t h a t § 12 of the e n a b l i n g a c t g r a n t s the P e r s o n n e l Board 
the power t o amend, add t o , c o n s o l i d a t e , or a b o l i s h the 
pay 
p l a n , s a l a r y s c h e d u l e s , c l a s s e s , and grades a t i t s d i s c r e t i o n . 
Thus, the employees are c o n t e n d i n g t h a t the P e r s o n n e l 
Board 
has the power t o a b o l i s h the e n t i r e pay p l a n but l a c k s t h e 
power t o a u t h o r i z e the s u s p e n s i o n of m e r i t pay 
r a i s e s 
t h a t 
34 
1100430 
e x i s t w i t h i n the pay p l a n . 
T h i s C o u r t has o b s e r v e d t h a t "the 
power t o r e p e a l i s t h e power t o amend. 
The g r e a t e r i n c l u d e s 
the 
l e s s [ e r ] . " 
Hard v. S t a t e ex r e l . Baker, 228 A l a . 517, 
524, 
154 So. 77, 83 
(1934). 
See 
a l s o E i d g e v. 
C i t y of  
Bessemer, 
164 
A l a . 599, 
615, 
51 
So. 
246, 
251 
(1909) 
( M c C l e l l a n , J . , 
d i s s e n t i n g ) ("The u n d e r l y i n g p r i n c i p l e i s t h a t 
the L e g i s l a t u r e , h a v i n g the r i g h t and power t o p r o h i b i t t h e 
t r a f f i c i n l i q u o r s , has a l s o , and n e c e s s a r i l y , t h e power and 
r i g h t t o r e n d e r the major purpose e f f e c t i v e by removing and 
i n h i b i t i n g t h e o p p o r t u n i t y f o r e v a s i o n by t r i c k , a r t i f i c e , or 
d e s i g n . 
The 
g r e a t e r 
i n c l u d e s 
t h e 
l e s s e r . " ) . 
The same 
p r i n c i p l e 
h o l d s 
i n t h i s 
i n s t a n c e : 
t h e power 
t o 
a b o l i s h 
n e c e s s a r i l y i n c l u d e s t h e power t o suspend. 
F u r t h e r m o r e , as t h e P e r s o n n e l Board n o t e s , t h e employees' 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n would produce a b s u r d r e s u l t s . 
For example, 
under t h e employees' i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , an a p p o i n t i n g a u t h o r i t y 
must g r a n t 
m e r i t 
r a i s e s , b u t i t c o u l d negate those 
r a i s e s 
t h r o u g h 
a 
w h o l e s a l e 
r e d u c t i o n 
i n t h e 
s a l a r y 
s c h e d u l e . 
S i m i l a r l y , i t 
would seem t h a t t h e P e r s o n n e l Board's 10-step 
pay p l a n v i o l a t e s t h e employees' i n t e r p r e t a t i o n 
because, i f 
m e r i t pay r a i s e s must be g i v e n 
s o l e l y based on 
s a t i s f a c t o r y 
35 
1100430 
s e r v i c e and l e n g t h of s e r v i c e , then such r a i s e s c o u l d not 
be 
d e n i e d t o an employee a t s t e p 10 -- the h i g h e s t s t e p -- of a 
pay grade. 
The 
employees concede, however, t h a t employees 
such as Thompson, who 
i s a t s t e p 10 of h i s a p p l i c a b l e pay 
grade, are not e n t i t l e d t o a m e r i t pay 
r a i s e . 
For 
a l l the 
f o r e g o i n g 
r e a s o n s , 
we 
c o n c l u d e 
t h a t 
the 
r e q u i r e m e n t 
i n § 12 of the e n a b l i n g a c t t h a t the pay p l a n must 
p r o v i d e f o r "the advancement of s a l a r y w i t h i n each c l a s s or 
grade on the b a s i s of e f f i c i e n c y and l e n g t h of s e r v i c e " does 
not p r o h i b i t the P e r s o n n e l B o a r d from a u t h o r i z i n g a c r o s s - t h e -
b o a r d s u s p e n s i o n s 
of m e r i t r a i s e s by a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t i e s . 
IV. 
C o n c l u s i o n 
We 
c o n c l u d e 
t h a t 
Rule 
8.2(c) 
p r o v i d e s 
a p p o i n t i n g 
a u t h o r i t i e s the d i s c r e t i o n t o suspend m e r i t pay 
r a i s e s . 
We 
a l s o f i n d t h a t § 12 of the e n a b l i n g a c t does not p r o h i b i t the 
P e r s o n n e l Board from e n a c t i n g such a r u l e . 
T h e r e f o r e , 
the 
c i r c u i t 
c o u r t ' s summary judgment i n f a v o r of the 
P e r s o n n e l 
B o a r d , 
J e f f e r s o n County, 
and 
the 
s h e r i f f 
i s 
due 
t o 
be 
a f f i r m e d . 
AFFIRMED. 
Malone, C.J., and W o o d a l l , P a r k e r , and Main, J J . , concur. 
36