It is hereby the declared personnel policy of the City that:
A. Employment in the City government shall be based on merit and fitness,
free of personal and political considerations.
B. Just and equitable incentives and conditions of employment shall
be established and maintained to promote efficiency and economy in
the operation of the City government.
C. Appointments, promotions and other actions requiring the application
of the merit principle shall be based on fair evaluations.
D. High morale shall be maintained by fair administration of this article
and by every consideration of the rights and interests of employees
consistent with the best interests of the public and the City.
E. Tenure of employees covered by this article shall be subject to good
behavior, the satisfactory performance of work, necessity for the
performance of work, and the availability of funds, but shall not
be inconsistent with the Charter.
F. The City shall adhere to all applicable sections of the Fair Labor
Standards Act as they relate to employment with the City.
The City Manager shall prepare and present to the Council for
approval, by order, a personnel policy manual which will govern the
administration of the City's personnel program. Amendments shall
be presented to the Council for approval as deemed necessary by the
Manager.
[Added 7-21-1986 by Ord.
No. 450; amended 7-1-1991 by Ord. No. 167]
The position of Personnel Officer is hereby created, which position
shall be appointed by the City Manager with the advice and consent
of the City Council. The Personnel Officer is responsible for administering
a central personnel program to provide the City with competent employees
and to promote desirable and adequate conditions of employment. Duties
include administering the technical phases of employee selection and
placement, assisting in the negotiation and administration of collective
bargaining agreements, classification and compensation, personnel
records, employee benefits, the development and maintenance of an
employee handbook and preparing and administering a budget. Assignments
and direction to accomplish the various functions of the position
shall be made by the City Manager.
The provisions of this article shall not apply to those employees
covered by collective bargaining agreements except if such agreements
do not contain the same or similar provisions.
[Amended 9-17-1984 by Ord. No. 553]
Notwithstanding any other provisions of the ordinances of the
City, it shall be a condition of employment for any new City Manager
hired by the City after September 17, 1984, that the new City Manager
move within the corporate limits of the City within one year of accepting
such employment. Employment contracts for the new City Manager shall
not be considered final and binding upon the City until such condition
is met.
[Added 6-17-1985 by Ord.
No. 113(1)]
The City Manager shall be evaluated by the City Council once
a year. The procedure, process and forms used in the evaluation shall
be set forth and established by the City Council.
Employees shall be selected without regard to political consideration,
shall not be required to contribute for any political purpose, shall
not hold nor be a candidate for any public office or position, and
shall not be a member of any local, state or national committee of
a political party.
This article shall be known as the "Civil Service Ordinance."
The Augusta Civil Service Commission is hereby established.
It shall be the responsibility of the Civil Service Commission
to hold hearings for the following purposes:
A. Any employee of the City who claims to have been discriminated against
on the basis of race, age, religion, creed, color or gender as provided
for in Article VIII of the Charter.
B. Any employee who has been suspended for a period of over seven days,
demoted or dismissed.
[Amended 12-19-1988 by Ord. No. 528]
A. An employee who wishes to request a hearing must do so in writing
to the Civil Service Commission within 10 working days of the action
or knowledge of the action leading to the request.
B. The Civil Service Commission will hold an informal hearing within
10 working days of receipt of a written request.
C. The Civil Service Commission may request witnesses at the hearing
and the witnesses shall be required to testify under oath. Refusal
to testify may be grounds for dismissal.
D. The Civil Service Commission will prepare and present to the City
Manager and the employee a written response to the complaint within
10 working days of the hearing.
E. Decisions of the Civil Service Commission shall be deemed final except
in cases of alleged discrimination, in which case they shall be advisory.