It is the intent of this Charter that the personnel system of the Municipality will be built upon the best experience in the field of personnel management. It should recognize that its employees are worthy, and responsible enough to have their concerns fully heard and taken into account and should be such as to encourage employees to identify positively with the purposes of the organization and be motivated to give their best efforts in support of those purposes. The policies governing this system will seek to accommodate the views, interests and rights of the community as well as the Municipal officers and employees.
The Manager shall, among other things, develop policies, procedures and regulations for the personnel system of the Municipality which shall include but not be limited to the following principles and objectives:
a. 
Providing equal opportunity for employment and for advancement of employees without regard to political affilitation, race, color, national origin, sex or religious creed and complying fully with all applicable State and Federal regulations in this area;
b. 
Recruiting and selecting employees on the basis of their respective abilities, knowledge and skills, through open and competitive means;
c. 
Promoting employees on the basis of demonstrated performance and potential for greater responsibility;
d. 
Providing fair and competitive compensation and benefits for all employees, which shall be set forth in the form of a pay and benefit plan covering all positions in the career service;
e. 
Training and developing employees to assure continuing high quality performance;
f. 
Retaining employees on the basis of the adequacy of their performance, correcting inadequate performance, and separating employees whose inadequate performance cannot be corrected;
g. 
Providing opportunity for employee growth and advancement through competent and capable leadership;
h. 
Assuring that employees are protected against coercion for partisan political purposes and, in return, that employees are restricted in their political activity as set forth in Section 4 of this Article;
i. 
A classification and position description system;
j. 
Rules and regulations governing reduction in manpower, discipline, discharges, resignations, leaves of absence and off-hours employment of Municipal employees by other agencies;
k. 
Rules and regulations governing the resolution of claims of unfair or unjust treatment other than those resulting from suspension, dismissal, demotion or reduction in rank.
Personnel policies, rules and regulations, and any amendments thereto, along with the establishment of other practices and procedures necessary to the administration of the Municipal personnel system, when developed by the Manager, shall be submitted to Council which shall adopt them with, or without, amendment. Prior to such adoption, the Council shall provide Municipal employees with the opportunity to review and comment upon such proposed policies, rules or regulations. The Council may delegate to the Manager the responsibility for establishing procedures for such review and comment.
No personnel procedures or policies established under the provisions of this Charter shall be in conflict with Acts of the State Legislature providing for collective bargaining and arbitration.
a. 
No Municipal employee shall be an officer of a political party, or be an elected committee person, or hold political office during employment.
b. 
No employee or official shall solicit any assessments, contributions or services for any political party or candidate from any Municipal employee.
c. 
Nothing herein contained shall affect the right of the employee to hold membership in and support a political party, to vote, to express publicly or privately opinions on all political subjects and candidates, to maintain political neutrality and to actively participate in political meetings. However employees must engage in all such activities as private citizens and during nonworking hours.
a. 
Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, no person in the Municipal career service shall be suspended, removed, demoted, or reduced in rank, except for the following reasons:
(1) 
Physical or mental disability affecting the ability of an employee to continue in the performance of the duties of the position;
(2) 
Neglect or violation of any official duty or assignment;
(3) 
Violation of any law which provides that such violation constitutes a misdemeanor or felony;
(4) 
Inefficiency, neglect, intemperance, immorality, insubordination, willful disobedience of orders, conduct unbecoming an employee, or conduct reflecting discredit upon the Municipality and it's government;
(5) 
Intoxication while on duty;
(6) 
Engaging in political activity prohibited under Section 4 of this Article;
b. 
Any employee in the career service who is suspended, removed, demoted, or reduced in rank for any of the above causes shall have the right to appeal to the Personnel Board, except those having grievance procedures in collective bargaining contracts, which deal with suspension, removal, demotion or reduction in rank.
c. 
If, for reasons of economy, or other reasons, it shall be deemed necessary by the Municipal government to reduce the number or rank of paid employees, such reductions shall not be subject to the provisions of this section, but shall be accomplished in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the Manager and approved by Council.
The career service shall be a permanent service to which the provisions of this Article shall apply and shall comprise all positions in the Municipal service now existing or hereafter established, except the following:
a. 
Members of the Council and other elected positions;
b. 
Members of boards, commissions, authorities and heads of departments;
c. 
Persons employed to make or conduct a temporary and special inquiry, investigation or examination on behalf of Council or the Manager;
d. 
Persons employed as professional consultants or who are employed on a retainer basis;
e. 
Persons whose positions are defined by the General Assembly to be of a confidential nature;
f. 
Controller's staff and employees;
g. 
Part-time or occasional employees.