Associated Press - November 19, 2009 9:04 PM ET

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's budget chief says he's moonlighting as state human resources administrator to help spare one job in his office from elimination.

Division of Financial Management Administrator Wayne Hammon took over interim Division of Human Resources duties on Oct. 30 when its former chief, Judie Wright, agreed to retire eight months earlier planned.

Wright isn't going empty-handed: Human Resources is pumping $72,781 into the 30-year state employee's pension account, to boost her retirement payments to what they would have been had she stayed until June 30, 2010.

Human Resources also must cover half of Hammon's $116,000 annual salary for the next eight months, about $48,257.

But Hammon says all this means a net savings to Idaho of $19,658 that, when combined with other cuts he's making, will save one budget division job previously slated for elimination.

Otter approved these changes through June, but it's still undecided if they will be permanent, Hammon said.

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