2508                               Municipal Charters

thority and approved in writing by the Personnel Officer. An employee may
be hired at the third (3rd) increment of the grade up to the maximum
increment of the grade if recommended and justified in writing by the
appointing authority and approved in writing by the Personnel Officer,
Director of Administration and County Executive.

(b)    One (1) year from the effective date of his last in-grade incre-
ment increase, an employee in a pay grade below 16 (14PF) whose per-
formance is satisfactory shall have his pay rate advanced to the next
higher increment of the grade. Upon written justification by the appoint-
ing authority that an employee's performance is less than satisfactory, the
Personnel Officer shall withhold this annual increase from such employee
and initiate an investigation of the circumstances in each case. Upon
consideration of such circumstances, the Personnel Officer may himself
initiate an increase for the employee or recommend to the appointing
authority appropriate corrective action. In any event, appropriate corrective
action must be taken, or the pay increase must be approved, before eighteen
(18) months has elapsed from the effective date of the employee's last
in-grade increment increase. If corrective action is taken and the employee
remains in the county service thereafter, he shall receive the increment
increase at such time that the appointing authority determines that the
employee's performance is satisfactory, but not later than three (3) months
from the effective date of the corrective action. NOTWITHSTANDING
ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY, UNDER UNUSUAL CIRCUM-
STANCES UPON SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE ON THE PART OF AN
EMPLOYEE. THE DEPARTMENT HEAD MAY RECOMMEND AN IN-
CREASE SOONER THAN THE ANNUAL AUTOMATIC INCREMENT,
BUT NOT SOONER THAN SIX (6) MONTHS FROM THE LAST
INCREASE.

(c)    An employee in pay grade 16 (14PF) and above, may have his
pay rate advanced to the next higher increment of the grade not less than
six (6) months from the effective date of his last in-grade increment
increase, upon recommendation in writing by the appointing authority
and approval in writing by the Personnel Officer. In the event that such
employee is not recommended by his appointing authority for advancement
to the next in-grade increment within eighteen (18) months of the effective
date of his last in-grade increment increase, the Personnel Officer shall
investigate the circumstances of the employee's case and upon considera-
tion of such circumstances may himself initiate an increase for the em-
ployee or recommend to the appointing authority appropriate corrective
action. If corrective action is taken and the employee remains in county
service thereafter, he shall receive the increment increase at such time
that the appointing authority determines that the employee's performance
is satisfactory, but no later than three (3) months from the effective date
of the corrective action.

(d)    When an employee is promoted from one position to another
position of higher grade, the employee's new salary shall be the minimum
increment of the higher grade, or that increment which provides a five
(5) percent increase, whichever is higher.

(e)    When a uniformed officer of the County Police or Fire Depart-
ment is assigned by the appointing authority to a position classification of
Police Services Officer (I and II), Police Officer (I-II-III) or Firefighter
(I-II-III), the officer shall retain the same increment step in the pay range
of the new assignment as the officer held in the former assignment.