Also Wednesday, Chief Administrative Officer David Marshall sent a letter to county Chief Operations Officer Gerrie Shaw - who along with county Mayor Nancy Workman is on paid leave - telling Shaw that she cannot participate in the embattled mayor's re-election campaign during business hours.

Workman has been placed on administrative leave while facing two felony charges of misuse of public money, and the County Council has appointed Dayton to act as chief executive. Dayton put Shaw on paid leave.

"As an exempt employee, there are still restrictions on your ability to participate in campaign activities during the course of a standard county workweek," Marshall wrote to Shaw. "We are mindful and most aware that this is a very unusual circumstance. We appreciate your compliance to this standard. Noncompliance will result in a change in your paid status."

Shaw could not be reached for comment, and Workman's campaign manager Chris Bleak declined comment because he had not seen the letter.

Notice of Allen's salary decrease comes a day after the District Attorney's Office charged him with one count of communications fraud, a class A misdemeanor, for allegedly purchasing more than $350 in fuel on his county-provided gas card above what would be needed for legitimate county use. Allen stepped down in May after admitting he hauled his boat twice to Lake Powell using his county-owned Ford Explorer.

The charge, filed in 3rd District Court, does not mention the Lake Powell trips. Allen "strongly denies" there was any criminal conduct, according to comments on Tuesday by his attorney, Jim C. Bradshaw.

After leaving as CFO, Allen took a merit job - allowed by state law - as the fiscal manager of the county's planning and zoning division. The Mayor's Office "redlined" Allen's salary - a move that permitted him to be paid more than 25 percent above the maximum range for his job grade.

As CFO, Allen made $103,776 a year. As the fiscal manager, he has been making $92,512. But Dayton's decision puts Allen at $72,316 a year, almost the top salary for that pay grade. The action takes effect Oct. 1.

Allen could not be reached for comment and Bradshaw did not return a call Wednesday afternoon.

Council Chairman Steve Harmsen, a Republican, said that salary cut makes sense.

"I'm glad [Dayton] has taken a good look at this," Harmsen said.

tburr@sltrib.com