NAJAM, J.
On May 1, 2000, Knoebel began working as a probation officer for the Superior Court. Knoebel has a master’s degree and became the chief probation officer, a position she held until February 1, 2007. As chief probation officer, Knoebel earned $47,531 per year. On February 1, 2007, Vickie L. Carmichael took office as Judge of the Superior Court, and Judge Carmichael selected a new chief probation officer. When Knoebel stepped down from the chief probation officer position, her pay was erroneously reduced to $27,588 per year, the minimum annual salary for a probation officer with less than one year experience.
As a result of Knoebel’s erroneous pay decrease, Judge Carmichael requested that the Clark County Council (“Council”) amend Knoebel’s salary. After holding two special meetings, the Council approved a 2007 salary for Knoebel in the total amount of $42,033. See Appellees’ App. at 2. The Council’s decision was based on “2007 Minimum Salary Schedule for Probation Officers” adopted by the Judicial Conference of Indiana (“Salary Schedule”). See Appellant’s App. at 16-17.
The Salary Schedule provides for an increase in salary for probation officers in accordance with the officer’s years of experience. For example, an officer with zero years of experience receives $27,588, while an officer with four to nine years of experience, such as Knoebel, receives $38,125. The Salary Schedule further states that [p]robation officers having a masters or doctorate degree . . . and a minimum of 5 years as an Indiana probation officer shall receive an additional 5% of their base salary each year. For example, the minimum salary for a probation officer with 5 years of experience in 2007 would be $38,125. If that officer had a masters degree then the minimum base salary would be $40,031 in 2007. Id. at 16.
The Salary Schedule also provided for an increased salary for chief probation officers. For a chief probation officer with four to eight probation officers in the probation department, such as in Clark County, the Salary Schedule provides for a salary increase of $7,500. The Salary Schedule states that “[t]he amounts for supervisory roles are in addition to the minimum salary based on years of experience.” Id. (emphasis original). That is, “[m]inimum salaries for Chief Probation Officers . . . are calculated based on their years of experience plus the amount listed for their administrative role.” Id. at 17. Finally, the Salary Schedule states that “Departments shall not reduce the salaries of probation officers who are paid above the minimum salary schedule.” Id.
On May 1, 2007, Knoebel filed a complaint against the Superior Court and Clark County seeking back pay, statutory damages, and attorney’s fees for subtracting from her salary the additional amount allocated for chief probation officers after her demotion. . . . .
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Contrary to Knoebel’s claims, she was paid in accordance with the Salary Schedule. Knoebel’s claim of damages depends on whether she was entitled to retain the $7,500 allocated to chief probation officers after she lost that position on February 1, 2007. In support of her position, she notes that the Salary Schedule states, “Departments shall not reduce the salaries of probation officers who are paid above the minimum salary schedule.” . . . In light of that language, Knoebel categorically asserts that “[p]robation officer salaries are to be maintained at their highest historical level” and that “the guidelines prohibit downward movement in probation officer compensation.” . . . We cannot agree.
Although the salary increase due to chief probation officers is “in addition to the minimum salary based on years of experience,” that salary increase is mandatory and therefore increases the minimum salary for chief probation officers. . . . As the Salary Schedule makes clear, “[m]inimum salaries for Chief Probation Officers . . . are calculated based on their years of experience plus the amount listed for their administrative role.” . . . Thus, when Knoebel received her $47,531 annual salary as chief probation officer, she received the minimum salary for a chief probation officer with a master’s degree, 4-9 years experience, and 4-8 probation officers in her department. She did not receive, as she contends, a salary “above the minimum salary schedule.” . . . .
Because Knoebel never received a salary above the minimum required by the schedule, neither the Superior Court nor Clark County could have erred in reducing her salary by $7,500 annually once she ceased being the chief probation officer. Stated another way, Knoebel’s salary went from being the minimum salary available to her as the chief probation officer to being the minimum salary available to her as a probation officer. [Footnote omitted.] As such, the trial court did not err in granting summary judgment to the Superior Court or to Clark County.
BAKER, C.J., and KIRSCH, J., concur.