Employment, promotion and discharge of all persons) from full-time
positions of employment with the city shall be accomplished through
a merit personnel system which shall be based on fitness for the position
demonstrated by examination or other evidence of competence. The Business
Administrator and the Department of Administration shall develop appropriate
measures of competence for all positions within the city's employment.
These measures or tests must be approved by the Mayor and Civil Service
Commission of the city, which is hereby charged with the responsibility
of approving the tests or measures of competence for all city positions
and for hearing appeals from individuals who claim that employment
or promotion has been awarded to other than qualified individuals.
Individuals who are employed or promoted to positions in the city
service on the basis of the above mentioned tests or measures of competence
shall retain that position within the city service and shall not be
removed, demoted, disciplined, or discharged except for just cause.
Individuals removed, demoted, disciplined, or discharged from their
positions shall have the right to appeal the question of just cause
to the Civil Service Commission of the city. The decision of the Civil
Service Commission on any appeals shall be final and binding on the
individual and the Mayor and the Administration of the City.
Examinations and measures of competence for full-time employment
positions may include, but not be limited to, any or all of the following:
physical examination, psychological examination, demonstrations of
physical dexterity, demonstrations of physical ability to perform
specific tasks, and written or oral examinations. To the extent feasible,
the identity of individuals being examined shall be shielded from
the examiner until after the individual has been rated on that section
of the examination. Each vacant full-time position shall be broadly
advertised for a period of at least ten working days by posting notice
of the vacancy on bulletin boards at city work locations and by advertising
the vacancy in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the
city. Interested individuals may apply for the vacant position and
shall then be tested competitively, utilizing the examinations and
other measures of competence developed by the Business Administrator
and approved by the Mayor and the Civil Service Commission. Individuals
shall compete and shall be graded on each examination or measure of
competence approved for the position. The Civil Service Commission
shall finally assign a composite grade to each individual competing
for the position and shall certify the three individuals receiving
the highest grades to the Mayor for his consideration. The Mayor may
appoint anyone of the three top graded individuals to the vacant position.
Individuals who have been certified by the Civil Service Commission
to the Mayor and who have not been appointed by the Mayor shall be
recertified by the Commission for the next vacant position of a similar
type and level which occurs within the city service.