The Director of Finance shall serve as Clerk to the Council and shall attend every meeting of the Council, may participate in discussions at the meeting, and shall keep a full and accurate account of the proceedings of the Council. The Director of Finance shall keep such other records and perform such other duties as may be required by this Charter or the Council.
The Mayor with approval of the Council may appoint a Town Attorney. The Town Attorney shall be a member of the bar of the Maryland Court of Appeals. The Town Attorney shall be the legal adviser of the town and shall perform such duties in this connection as may be required by the Council or the Mayor. Compensation for the Town Attorney shall be determined by the Council. The Mayor and Council shall have the power to employ such additional legal consultants as it deems necessary from time to time.
The town shall have the power to employ such officers and employees as it deems necessary to execute the powers and duties provided by this Charter or other state law and to operate the town government.
The town may provide by ordinance for appointments and promotions in the administrative service on the basis of merit and fitness. To carry out this purpose the Council shall have the power to adopt such rules and regulations governing the operation of a merit system as it deems desirable or necessary. Among other things, these rules and regulations may provide for competitive examinations, the use of eligible lists, a classification plan, a compensation plan, a probation period, appeals by employees included within the classified service from dismissal or other disciplinary action, and vacation and sick leave regulations. The town may request and avail itself of the facilities of the Secretary of State Personnel for the administration of its merit system, as provided in state law.
[Amended 12-28-2005 by Res. No. 01-2005]
A. 
Civil service divided into classified and unclassified service. The civil service of the town shall be divided into unclassified and classified service.
B. 
Unclassified service. The unclassified service shall comprise the following offices and positions, which shall not be included in the merit system:
(1) 
The Mayor, Council members and persons appointed to fill vacancies in these positions.
(2) 
The Town Attorney.
(3) 
The members of town boards and commissions.
(4) 
Part-time, temporary and unpaid offices and positions.
C. 
Classified service. The classified service shall comprise all positions not specifically included by this section in the unclassified service. All offices and positions included in the classified service shall be subject to any merit system rules and regulations which may be adopted.
A. 
Prohibitions. If a merit system is adopted, no person in the classified service of the town or seeking admission thereto shall be appointed, promoted, demoted, removed or in any way favored or discriminated against because of political or religious opinions or affiliations or any other factors not related to ability to perform work; no person shall willfully or corruptly commit or attempt to commit any fraud preventing the impartial execution of the personnel provisions of this Charter or of the rules and regulations made thereunder; no person seeking appointment to or promotion in the classified service of the town shall either directly or indirectly give, render or pay any money, service or other valuable thing to any person for or on account of or in connection with the employee's appointment, proposed appointment, promotion or proposed promotion.
B. 
Penalties. Any person who, by acting alone or with others, willfully or corruptly violates any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Any person who is convicted under this section shall for a period of five years be ineligible for appointment to or employment in a position in the Town service, and, if being an officer or employee of the Town, shall immediately forfeit the office or position held.
[Amended 5-12-2009 by Res. No. 02-2009]
The town shall have the power to do all things necessary to include its officers and employees or any of them within any retirement system or pension system under the terms of which they are admissible, and to pay the employer's share of the costs of any such retirement or pension system out of the proper operating funds of the town.
The town is authorized and empowered, by ordinance, to provide for or participate in hospitalization or other forms of benefit or welfare programs for its officers and employees, and to expend public moneys of the town for such programs.