Each county is authorized and empowered to establish by ordinance a merit system for the hiring, promotion, discharge and general regulation of the deputies and the employees of the county sheriff's office. The ordinance may, in the discretion of the board of county commissioners, provide for the classification of deputies and other employees and their probationary periods, service ratings, pay scales and ranges, the number of hours of work per week and the methods of employment, promotion, demotion and discharge of such deputies and employees within the limits provided by law. History: 1953 Comp., § 15-40-9.1, enacted by Laws 1975, ch. 11, § 1. Cross references. — For effect of merit system upon demotion and discharge of deputies, see 4-41-5 NMSA 1978. Deputies' exercise of rights not valid reason for discharge. — The fact that this section allows the sheriff to exercise a broad discretion in discharging deputies does not and cannot justify his invasion of constitutional rights by firing deputies for exercising these rights. Francia v. White , 594 F.2d 778 (10th Cir. 1979).
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