Opinion ID: 1345053
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Gubernatorial and Legislative Roles

Text: The statewide job evaluation system study involved the statewide restructuring of many positions, not simply the revenue agent and tax conferee positions. The department restructured job descriptions of several positions, restructured pay relationships, and restructured responsibilities assigned to positions. The Department implemented the studies in order to revamp the pay relationship of these newly created or revised positions. In Dempsey v. Romer, 825 P.2d 44, 56 (Colo.1992), we emphasized the checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches of government in state agency fiscal matters. In Dempsey, state employees filed an action against the Governor and the Executive Director of the Department of Personnel, arguing the unconstitutionality of a statute that established a maximum monthly salary level payable to state employees. Specifically, the state employees asserted that the director is constitutionally vested with the power to formulate compensation levels for state employees because the director is vested with the authority to establish classifications and pay grades. See id. at 51. In Dempsey, we rejected this argument, relying on our prior decision in Vivian v. Bloom, 115 Colo. 579, 177 P.2d 541 (1947). In Vivian, petitioners also asserted that the Colorado Constitution provides an executive agency with exclusive authority not only to establish positions, classes, and grades on the basis of merit, but also to establish the compensation level payable to such positions, classes and grades. See id. at 581, 177 P.2d at 542. We concluded that the executive agency's power to classify did not include the power to compensate as well. See id. at 585, 177 P.2d at 544. Further, we stressed that the electorate of this state rejected such model in favor of a system that separated the legislative power of appropriation from the executive power of classification. Id. at 585-86, 177 P.2d at 544. [7] Relying on our rationale in Vivian, we stressed in Dempsey that any effort by the General Assembly to transfer the legislative authority of appropriation to an officer in the executive department of government might raise serious constitutional separation of powers questions. Dempsey, 825 P.2d at 54. Further, we recognized that one of the primary functions of the General Assembly is to determine the amount of money to be spent on carrying out public policies of the state and that the personnel budget of the state is a significant category of each annual budget. See id. at 56. Because the revamping of the entire job evaluation system and changes to various pay grades significantly impacts the annual state budget and the legislature's appropriation prerogatives, the legislature provided for gubernatorial and legislative involvement in the implementation of a reorganization. As we pointed out in Dempsey: To construe the statutory scheme establishing the state personnel system as authorizing an appointed executive officer to control the appropriations process as it is impacted by classification and reclassification decisions would represent a major alteration of the system of checks and balances prevailing in the arena of governmental fiscal responsibility. Id. at 56. Thus, section 24-50-104(4)(d)(II) required the approval of the Governor and submission of the pay adjustments to the JBC. 2.