Change in Civil Service Appointment Procedures

Because of recent budget reductions, the Human Resources Division (HRD) will begin delegating the civil service appointment and promotion approval process to municipalities effective September 1, 2009.

HRD will continue to issue lists to communities when requested. Each municipality will be responsible for contacting the candidates, making appointments and promotions from the eligible list and providing bypass and selection reasons to the applicants in accordance with civil service law and rules. After August 31, 2009, HRD will no longer review and approve appointments and promotions. Appeals will be made directly to the Civil Service Commission.

HRD will be responsible for maintaining and updating the eligible list for each municipality as applicants, such as veterans, become eligible to be added to the list, and will provide technical assistance as needed to assist the municipalities in making appointments and promotions from the eligible list. Additionally, HRD will send a technical certification manual to each city and town and will be conducting information sessions in September.

It was always important, in cases where appointing authorities bypassed someone higher on the list for appointment or promotion, to pass your statement of reasons by counsel to ensure that it was defensible at the Civil Service Commission, because the Commission and HRD differed when it came to acceptable reasons for bypass. Now that HRD will not even be passing judgment on the statement of reasons, municipalities will “go it alone” on appeals to the Commission. Accordingly, it is now more critical than ever to let us review your statement of reasons for bypass before you finalize it. Call or email us for more information.