Losing Arlington’s Civil Service
The Arlington Civil Service Commission was established under Chapter 6 of the County Code after the County was granted the authority to do so in an amendment by the General Assembly to the County Manager Plan of government.
The Virginia Code states, “The commission, subject to the control of the board, shall establish and operate a classified civil service system for any or all classes of county employees, as designated by the board, which system shall provide for appointment, promotion, demotion, transfer, suspension, reinstatement, retirement and discharge of such employees. To this end it may establish a personnel administration and promulgate rules and regulations for the furtherance of the matters herein set out.”
The Commission’s five members are Arlington citizens with broad experience in management or public affairs. Commission members are appointed by the County Board. They may not be employees or paid office holders of the County. The Civil Service Commission’s responsibilities include:
* Representing the public interest in the improvement of County personnel administration
* Advising the County Board, County Manager and Human Resources Director in the formulation of personnel policies for the Competitive Service
* Conducting employee grievance appeal hearings of the County Manager’s decisions.
Because the Civil Service Commission is an authority granted under our current form of government, and the proposed County Board form of government makes no similar provision, the Commission would have to be disbanded under the proposed form. The Board and Manager would lose the benefit of the expert advice of the commission members, and employees would lose this opportunity to appeal the County Manager’s decisions in their grievances. Commission grievance hearing decisions are final and binding consistent with law and written policies. Loss of this statutory grievance process would deprive County employees of a fair and impartial appeal of the County Manager’s decisions on their grievances.