Cohoes civil service appointments done properly, study shows
For release: Immediate, Monday, October 20, 2008
A New York State Civil Service Commission review of the City of Cohoes Civil Service Commission's administration of the appointment process has found the process generally complies with the Civil Service Law and Rules.
The New York State Department of Civil Service periodically conducts reviews of local jurisdictions to ensure that the merit system is administered in accordance with Civil Service Law and Rules. These reviews assess practices in one or more of the following areas:
- adopting and enforcing rules regarding employment
- properly allocating positions to a jurisdictional class
- classifying positions
- conducting an examination program
- administration of the appointment process
- maintenance of required records
- reviewing and certifying payrolls
The Cohoes Commission has jurisdiction over a total of 417 employees — 202 employed by the City, 190 by the School District and 25 by the Housing Authority. Of these, 181, or 43 percent, are in the competitive class and are selected by competitive examination.
The review, which covered the period from May 2005 to May 2008, found competitive-class appointments generally followed applicable law and rules. However the percentage of competitive-class positions filled by provisional appointment of persons who have not taken an examination is 7.9 percent, nearly double the statewide average for city civil service agencies. One reason is the failure of the Cohoes Commission to order an examination from the State Department of Civil Service within a month of making a provisional appointment, as Civil Service Law requires.
Also the Cohoes Civil Service Commission does not receive applications for nominees for appointment in advance so that it can determine whether the person meets the minimum qualifications for the position.
The report noted that Cohoes has been aggressive in rectifying deficiencies brought to its attention. A progress report must be submitted by March 1, 2009.
"The New York State Department of Civil Service is committed to ensuring that municipal civil service commissions are implementing the Civil Service Law and Rules in a credible, trustworthy, fair, and efficient manner," said State Civil Service Commissioner Nancy G. Groenwegen. "We are dedicated to assisting jurisdictions in accomplishing this goal."
Review the complete report:
Appointment Process Administration by the City of Cohoes Civil Service Commission(
61KB)
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