City Council hears Presentation on the Effects of a Fire and Police Department Civil Service

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2015, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

The Eagle Pass City Council heard a presentation by Ms. Betti Lynn from Lynn Ross Gannaway, and Cranford LLP regarding the City of Eagle Pass Municipal Civil Service Plan petition and the effects if said Civil Service petition for the Fire and Police Departments is approved by the citizen voters of Eagle Pass, Texas during their City Council meeting held on Tuesday,March 3, 2015.

As a result of a result of Fire and Police Departments employees dissatisfaction with an incomplete and dysfunctional City Employee Pay Plan, they petitioned local voters to sign a petition to place the Civil Service Plan in the May 9, 2015 City Election.

The City of Eagle Pass Municipal Civil Service Plan petition was recently approved by the Eagle Pass City Council on February 19, 2015 and will be presented to the City of Eagle Pass voters on May 9, 2015 for approval or disapproval during the city’s general election.

“The petition has been filed and certified by the city secretary and I was asked to give a brief overview of what it would mean to be under civil service so jthat everyone will have an idea of what it is about,” said Lynn.

Lynn proceeded to give a brief history of Civil Service and noted during the 1940’s the civil service structure was presented and implemented into practice in the state of Texas to assure some form of job security for fire fighters and police officers due to certain practices that were being followed by governing bodies back then.

Lynn presented City Council with an overview of the Civil Service plan which includes the establishment of a three member Civil Service Commissions, that the Civil Service Commission administers the civil service plan system, the civil service plan grants limited powers and duties to the Civil Service Commission, that the Civil Service Commission does not manage the City’s Fire and Police departments, that the Civil Service Commission appoints a Civil Service Director to administer the civil service plan for the Fire and Police Departments, that the Civil Service Commission adopts and publishes the rules of the civil service plan, that the Civil Service Commission maintains the civil service personnel files, that the Civil Service Commission classifies the positions in the Fire and Police Departments, that the Civil Service Commission is involved in the hiring and promotional process of employees within the civil service plan, that the Civil Service Commission may hear disciplinary appeals, may conduct investigations and issue subpoenas, determine physical and mental fitness efficiency reports, personnel files, A and G files, and place restrictions on disclosure of these files.

The three person Civil Service Commission will have many responsibilities and obligations assigned to it and will be instrumental in the operation and development of the City of Eagle Pass Fire and Police Department civil service plan if City voters should approve the petition on the May 9, 2015 City Election.

Lynn continued to explain to City Council issues such as hiring standards by state law, hiring process, promotions and how they will be different from what is being done now by the City of Eagle Pass, discipline of Fire and Police Department employees will change dramatically from their current City Employee System, there will be limits on discipline placed by the Civil Service Plan, there will be pay issues and increases currently not faced by the City of Eagle Pass under its current City Employee Plan, there will be a different base salary for all Fire and Police Departments employees than the current City Employee Plan, will eliminate “merit” as eligibility requirement in step pay plan, and more employee benefits will be mandated under the Civil Service plan than currently under the City Employee Plan. A Civil Service Plan if approved by the voters of Eagle Pass will grant greater employee rights and protections for the City of Eagle Pass Fire and Police Department employees than the current City Employee Plan and other regular City employees.

Lynn also gave a presentation of what doesn’t change under the Civil Service plan. The City Manager would still appoint the Chiefs of Fire and Police Departments, the City Council will still determine the number of employees in the Fire and Police Departments, and the City Council will still determine the number of rank employees in each department, and the Civil Service Commission will not be involved in the day to day operations of the Fire and Police Departments.

Lynn’s presentation definitely demonstrated that if the citizens of Eagle Pass approve the Civil Service Plan petition presented by the City Fire and Police Department employees at the May 9, 2015 City Election will bring significant changes to the City of Eagle Pass, including its financial budgets in the future. The City Manager will have less authority and say so in employee discipline decisions concerning the Fire and Police Departments as this will now be controlled by the Civil Service Commission instead of the City Employee Plan. In essence, there will be two employee plans operating concurrently, one for the regular City employees and the Civil Service plan for only the Fire and Police Department employees.