Proposition 8

Highlights: Allows employment processes and procedures to be established by Civil Service Commission rule and ordinance for more flexibility.

Amended Text
Amending the Charter of the City of El Paso Section 6.4-1, Classification Plans; Section 6.5, Certification and Selection of Candidates; Section 6.5-1, Certification Process; Section 6.5-2, Rule of Five; Section 6.6-1, Regular Appointment; Section 6.6-2, Provisional Appointments; Section 6.6-3, Temporary Appointment; Section 6.6-5, Contractors; Section 6.7, Original Entrance Examinations; Section 6.7-2, Examination Standards; Section 6.7-3, Penalty for Deceit in Examination; and Section 6.8-1, Examination; and deleting Sections 6.5-3, 6.6-4, 6.7-1, 6.7-4, 6.7-5, 6.7-6, 6.7-7, 6.7-8, 6.7-9, 6.8-3, and 6.8-4 in their entirety, , and certain definitions in Section 6.14-1; to read as follows:

Section 6.4-1 CLASSIFICATION PLANS.
The Human Resources Director shall update as necessary the classification and compensation plans of the City for the classified services. The Director shall present such plans, and the recommendation of the Civil Service Commission, to the City Council for acceptance and approval.

Section 6.5 CERTIFICATION AND SELECTION OF CANDIDATES

Section 6.5-1 CERTIFICATION PROCESS.
A. The Human Resources Director shall certify candidates eligible for hire or promotion based solely on their qualifications in accordance with established departmental policies and procedures or by Rule, which may allow a preference for the hiring and promotion of former employees separated without fault or delinquency, or for other just and reasonable cause in conformity with the Charter and consistent with the principles of the civil service system and established policies.
B. When needed, the Human Resources Director will compile lists of eligible candidates for job classifications and consolidate, revise and maintain them as necessary and appropriate, in accordance with established policies and procedures or by Rule.
C. When an employee is eligible for appointment to a position, but there is no vacancy in that position, the employee may be certified to an appropriate lower grade position. If a vacancy occurs in the higher graded position, while the employee is in good standing on the eligible list, the employee may be appointed to that position in accordance with the procedures established for the order of certification.
D. The Human Resources Director will permit persons on eligible lists to waive certification, reinstatement, or appointment two times, after which the person's name may be removed from such list in accordance with procedures established by Rule.

Section 6.5-2 RULE OF FIVE.
As necessary, the Human Resources Director shall certify the five highest names on the proper eligible list for one vacancy, and one additional name (the next highest) for each additional vacancy except as may be provided by appropriate policies and procedures or by Rule, in cases where a certification for incapacity or a reinstatement from layoff is being made, where there are fewer than five names on the proper eligible list, and in situations where eligible persons are serving in the department in which the vacancy exists.

Section 6.6-1 REGULAR APPOINTMENT.
Upon receipt of a certification list from the Human Resources Director, the City Manager or designee will appoint any person or persons certified to be within the applicable number of highest names from the list to fill the applicable vacancies to which the list applies. Regular appointments may be either full-time or part-time.

Section 6.6-2 PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENTS.
In the absence of an appropriate certification list, a provisional appointment may be made by the City Manager or designee as provided by appropriate policies and procedures or by Rule. Any person so appointed must meet the minimum qualifications established for the position. A provisional appointment will be effective only until a regular appointment is made from a certification list. In no case shall a provisional appointment extend beyond twelve months from the date of the original appointment.

Section 6.6-3 TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT.
When services to be rendered are of a temporary character, a temporary appointment may be made by the City Manager or designee from one of the first three persons on a certification list who is willing to accept the appointment or as may be provided by appropriate policies and procedures or by Rule. The person appointed will retain all rights to certification for permanent appointment as though no temporary appointment had been made. The duration of a temporary appointment may not exceed one year.

Section 6.6-5 CONTRACTORS.
The City Manager shall have the authority to contract for professional services and personal services for reasons such as economy, efficiency, immediate or temporary need, when such contracts are in the best interest of the City and not contrary to the principles and practices of the civil service system incorporated in this Article. Such contracts shall be subject to the limitations and requirements for Council approval as set forth by ordinance.

Section 6.7 ORIGINAL ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS.

Section 6.7-2 EXAMINATION STANDARDS.
The Human Resources Director shall establish appropriate policies and procedures for the advertising of vacancies and the operation of the competitive process for selection including the administration of and standards for original entrance and related examinations such as oral examinations, practical tests, medical and physical examinations, and police investigations.

Section 6.7-3 PENALTY FOR DECEIT IN EXAMINATION.
An applicant in any examination who uses or attempts to use any unfair or deceitful means to pass the examination shall be excluded from further participation in the examination and the papers not rated, except as may be provided in the applicable Rules.

Section 6.8-1 EXAMINATION.
Promotion to any position in the Civil Service shall be by examination weighed by seniority and performance record, except as otherwise provided in the Charter or Rules. Eligibility criteria and rating factors for promotions shall be established by Rule and shall include a credit for seniority.

Proposition Question
Ballot Proposition No. 8

FOR ( )

Shall Sections 6.4-1, 6.5, 6.5-1, 6.5-2, 6.6-1, 6.6-2, 6.6-3, 6.6-5, 6.7, 6.7-2, 6.7-3, 6.8-1, and 6.14-1 of the City Charter be amended, and Sections 6.5-3, 6.6-4, 6.7-1, 6.7-4, 6.7-5, 6.7-6, 6.7-7, 6.7-8, 6.7-9, 6.8-3, and 6.8-4 of the City Charter be deleted in their entirety, relating to employment processes: to provide that the Human Resources Director is responsible to update the classification and compensation plans, certify eligible job candidates and lists, and create examination procedures and standards; to establish criteria for making appointments and removal from lists; to allow the City Manager to contract for services when in the best interests of the City and not contrary to civil service principles; to consolidate eligibility criteria and require promotional rating factors be established by Rules; to delete the residency provision, the sections on rating factors, the section pertaining to temporary appointments made regular, and definitions in Section 6.14-1 for the terms certification list, classification, competitive examination, eligible list, position, new position, provisional employee, temporary employee and title; and shall Section 6.5 be renamed as Certification and Selection of Candidates, and Section 6.7 be renamed as Original Entrance Examinations; and to renumber the provisions under these sections as appropriate?

AGAINST ( )