A. 
The City Manager may, for reasons of economy, for more efficient administration, or for lack of sufficient appropriation of funds, abolish positions in a department and lay off employees. The following procedures shall be followed in any such case:
(1) 
Temporary employees in the affected job classifications shall be laid off first.
(2) 
Probationary employees in the affected job classifications shall be laid off next.
(3) 
Permanent employees shall be laid off next, in the order of their seniority in the job classifications affected by the lay off, the person with the least seniority in the job classification being laid off first and the person with the greatest seniority in the job classification being laid off last.
B. 
Provided that any permanent employee who is laid off or occupies an abolished position and who has longer seniority in his job classification than another employee has in a lesser classification (paywise) having similar job requirements shall be entitled to the position in the lesser classification held by such other employee who has less seniority. In like manner and under the same conditions, any permanent employee displaced form his position by an employee having greater seniority in classification may displace any other employee with lesser seniority in classification.
C. 
The Civil Service Board shall determine whether or not given job descriptions have similar job requirements, and its decision shall be final.
D. 
Provided, further, that any such laid off permanent employee or employee occupying an abolished position may, with his consent and with the approval of the Civil Service Board, be placed in any job classification held by a probationary employee, provided that such job classification is not entitled to more pay than the job classification held by the laid off employee. In the case of displacement of a probationary employee, such probationary employee shall be placed in any other vacant position having job requirements which the probationary employee is capable of performing, but if no such vacant position exists, his employment shall be terminated.
E. 
Further, provided that any such laid off permanent employee or employee occupying an abolished position may, with his consent and with the approval of the Civil Service Board, be placed in any vacant and unfilled job classifications, provided that such job classification is not entitled to more pay than the job classification held by the laid off employee. Such action may be taken without the holding of a competitive examination, even though the laid off employee or employee occupying an abolished position is not immediately capable of performing the work required for such unfilled job classification. In such event, such employee shall be on probation for a six-month period, during which time he shall be trained to perform the work required in such job classification. At the end of such six-month probationary period, his department head shall advise the Civil Service Board whether the employee can then perform the work required for such job classification. The Civil Service Board shall then determine whether the employee shall be given permanent status in the new position, and the decision of the Board shall be final. If the employee is not given permanent status in the new position, he may still exercise his seniority rights as herein provided or may be transferred to any other vacant and unfilled position, in like manner and under the above stated conditions.
F. 
In the event of multiple layoffs or position abolishments in a department, seniority in classification shall be followed in allowing the employees involved to exercise the seniority privileges detailed herein, and the employee shall be allowed 10 days within which to make his election. Any employee exercising such privileges shall be credited in his new job classification with the seniority in classification that such employee had in his old job classification. In every instance in which an employee loses his job classification either by layoff or position abolishment, he shall retain his right to occupy such job classification in case it later should become available, and he shall also retain his seniority in such job classification from which he was released either through layoff or position abolishment, he shall then return to such job classification or forfeit his seniority therein and his right to return to such job classification.
G. 
In the event that any employee is removed from City employment as a result of layoff or position abolishment, his name shall be placed upon the reemployment list and he shall be eligible for future reemployment as provided in Article IV of this chapter. The name of such person shall remain on the reemployment list until such person is reemployed, requests the removal of his name from the list, or refuses appointment to a position in the job classification formerly held by such person.
H. 
The Civil Service Board shall interpret and construe the provisions of this section in all cases in which doubt may arise concerning the intent and meaning thereof.
A. 
The appointing officer shall have the authority to demote an employee from an exempt position to any position in the classified service which such employee has formerly held without the necessity of competitive examination, provided that such position is open and unfilled at the time of such demotion.
B. 
The City Manager, or any appointing authority, may demote, suspend or dismiss any person in his department for cause, but no person shall be reduced in pay or position, laid off, suspended for religious or political reasons or affiliations or because of bias or prejudice. In all cases of reduction, demotion, layoff, suspension or dismissal of any employee in the classified service, the appointing officer shall, within three days of the effective date thereof, furnish such employee and the Civil Service Board with a copy of the reason or reasons for such reduction, layoff, suspensions or dismissal by registered mail, return receipt requested. Such employee shall have an opportunity to make and to file a written answer in like manner. Such answer, if any, together with the explanation, if any, shall be filed with the Civil Service Board within six says from said effective date. All notices and charges shall be sent by registered mail, return receipt requested. Nothing herein contained shall limit the power of an appointing officer to suspend without pay for purposes of discipline, or the good of the service, any person under his supervision for a reasonable period of time not to exceed 10 working days or 80 working hours, and the Board shall not have jurisdiction to review any such suspension; provided, however, that repeated suspensions within any thirty-day period shall be subject to review by the Civil Service Board.
The tenure of everyone holding office, place, position or employment in the City's service shall be only during good behavior and efficient service, and any such person may be removed or discharged, suspended without pay, deprived of vacation privileges or other special privileges for inefficiency, incompetency, insubordination, dishonesty, drunkenness, immoral conduct, discourteous treatment of the public, neglect of duty, violations of the provisions of this chapter of the rules of the Civil Service Board, or any other act or omission detrimental to the good of the City service. The Civil Service Board shall have the power to review all dismissals and all suspensions imposed for more than 10 working days or 80 working hours.
Any charge preferred by a citizen against any person under the merit system employed by the City shall be made in writing and under oath and filed with the City Clerk. All communications to the Civil Service Board or any member thereof touching their duties as such shall be made in writing and filed with the City Clerk.
In case of discharge or removal, or suspension for more than 10 working days or 80 working hours, any officer or employee in the classified service, feeling himself aggrieved thereby, shall have a right to file a petition with the Civil Service Board within six days from the effective date of such discharge, removal or suspension, asking for reinstatement in the service or other relief and giving reasons therefor. The Civil Service Board shall grant the petitioner a hearing, which shall be either private or public at the option of the petitioner. In the case of dismissal from the City service, the petitioner shall be considered suspended without pay pending the period between the making of the charges as a basis for removal and the decision thereon by the Board.
The Civil Service Board shall conduct such hearing within 10 days after the petition is filed. At such hearing the burden shall be upon the appointing officer to justify his action. The hearing shall be deemed an investigation and not a trial, and the Board shall not be bound by technical rules of evidence and procedure. It shall, however, conduct the hearing in an orderly manner, confine the scope thereof to matters set forth in the reasons for dismissal, and secure both to the petitioner and the dismissing officer, a full and impartial hearing in regard thereto. Both parties shall be permitted to be represented by counsel and to produce witnesses or any other testimony they may have pertinent to the matter. The petitioner shall be entitled to first hear the testimony against him and to face his accuser. He and his witnesses shall then be permitted to be heard in his own defense. Hearsay evidence, as the term is commonly understood, excepting declarations against interest, shall not be deemed sufficient proof to warrant removal, demotion or suspension. A written record of all testimony taken at such hearing shall be kept and preserved by the Board, which record shall be sealed and not be available for public inspection, in event that no appeal shall be taken from the action of the Board.
The Board shall make its decision on an appeal within five days after the hearing. It shall have the power to pass upon the discharge or removal, suspension for more than 10 working days or 80 working hours, or other action from which the appeal has been taken, and may confirm, modify, or reverse such action. If reinstated without discipline in the position from which he was removed, the employee shall be entitled to compensation from the time of his demotion or discharge until the time his reinstatement was ordered. The dismissing authority, the petitioner and the Human Resource Director shall be entitled to a copy of the findings of the Board upon request. In the event that the Board shall sustain the action of the removing officer, the person removed shall have an immediate right of appeal to the Circuit Court, by writ of certiorari. Any such appeal shall be taken within 30 days from the entry of the Board's order. The Circuit Court shall hear any such appeal upon the original record taken therein, and no additional proof shall be permitted to be introduced.
A. 
No member of the Civil Service Board or employee of the City of Royal Oak shall become a candidate for any elective City office, or shall actively further the candidacy of any person for any elective City office, or shall otherwise become actively interested in any political campaign for any elective City office, without first resigning from his position. This provision shall not be construed to interfere with the right of a person to sign a petition or cast his vote as an individual.
B. 
No City employee shall directly or indirectly solicit, receive from or give to any other City employee any money, property or other thing of value for any political party, political candidate, or political purpose whatsoever.
C. 
Any violation of the provisions of this section by any City employee shall be cause for dismissal.