The Citizen
On Election Day, ballots in Auburn will have a referendum asking voters to choose between keeping Auburn's civil service commission or giving the duties to a human resources director.
Not everyone agrees on which result will be best for the city.
No matter who administers the civil service regulations and exams, the city will have to abide by state rules and the state will oversee them.
Auburn city manager Mark Palesh has championed this change almost since his arrival this year. However, abolishing the civil service commission will take the consent of voters.
The city paid for an advertisement advocating for a personnel officer rather than the three commissioners. The mailer said the move would save the city money and allow the city to “negotiate labor contracts efficiently.”
The state Board of Elections said the city should sign up with the Cayuga County Board of Elections as a political advocacy group. This would mean the city would have to show where the money came from and how much it spent.
Palesh said the advertisement is biased in favor of the city, so it's appropriate to spend the city's money on it. He is in the process of hiring a human resource director, who will take on the duties of the human rights office, and would take over civil service duties if the referendum passes.
The commission costs $78,000 in operation costs, salaries and medical benefits, with the Auburn Enlarged City School District footing half the bill. The commission handles about 300 cases for the city and the same for the school district.
The commissioners earn $3,000 annually.
Councilor Matt Smith read a prepared statement during a council meeting urging people to vote to dismember the three-person commission.
He pointed to the fact the commission is appointed partially based on politics. Not all three commissioners can be the same political party, but the city council makes the selections.
“Appointment to this board requires no particular qualifications in the areas of personnel management or human relations, yet these individuals make key decisions that affect all city departments and ultimately affects how the city does business,” Smith stated.
Commission chair Bob Welch said the barrage of personal attacks on the three commissioners is insulting and frustrating.
“It made us look like a bunch of idiots,” Welch said of Smith's speech. The commissioners have experience in government on the county, state or federal level, commission secretary William Fulton added.
The commissioners aren't involved in the hiring process, Welch said, they simply present eligibility lists based on exam scores. Welch said he wonders, therefore, how people can accuse them of being a political entity.
“The independence of the commission (allows it to enforce) the state rules and regulations, but when you have an appointed person where the person who hired you tells you want they want, they have that pressure. They can stretch the law,” Fulton said.
The commission provides exams and reviews applicants' qualifications. From there, the city manager can interview the people who have the top three scores. Because of people getting the same scores, there's no limit to how many there can be. The manager then makes his way down the list.
The commission is designed to act as another layer of checks and balances, Welch said.
“The purpose of the civil service is to make sure the 394th person (on the list) who's a nephew doesn't get hired,” he said.
Palesh maintains the civil service commission has a “roundabout” impact on labor negotiations, as was written in the flyer, because they can control who would be eligible for the fire chief's job.
A single leader could interpret gray areas in favor of the city, what the commission should be doing, Palesh said.
One such area that has frustrated Palesh and some councilors is lateral transfers. This maneuver of hiring already trained workers usually is addressed for the Auburn Police Department and Auburn Fire Department. The board continually favors the fire union, Palesh said.
David Ernst, director of public information for the state Civil Service Commission, said for the most part, the structure is set up to encourage consistent results.
While Ernst recognizes some people may view the state's regulations strictly, and others may view it more broadly, the structure is fairly stable to prevent a large variety of responses.
“If people are reading the law honestly and objectively, there's not a lot of room for interpretation,” Ernst said.
Smith suggested the commission repeatedly refused to accept lateral transfers because they would lose power.
The fire department has had two vacancies since the summer. One firefighter went to Binghamton at end of May, while another left in July for a year of active military duty.
Palesh and members of the city council blame the commission for causing the overtime costs to cover those positions and training expenses because the board denied Palesh the right to hire two trained firefighters.
“It would mean that political favors could no longer be dispensed through this outdated and duplicative commission, at the expense of the city of Auburn taxpayers,” Smith stated.
Welch, on the other hand, wonders why the city didn't hire replacements when the other employees left. Fire Chief Mike Hammon, who was hired a month earlier, said he was overwhelmed when the first one left. They've already missed the August deadline for the firefighters' academy.
The commission maintains such transfers aren't fair to the city residents who pay the money and spend the time to take tests in hopes of getting jobs with city departments. The list for interested firefighter candidates includes nearly 150 people, Welch said.
“We'll allow lateral transfers when the situation warrants it,” Welch said, not when the situation is due to the city's lack of planning.
Palesh sees the commission denying such lateral transfers as “not siding with the taxpayer” because the city then has to pay for training.
The Auburn Firefighter's Local 1446 and Assistant Chief's Local 4021 have encouraged city residents to keep the commission intact.
Steve Parker, president of the Auburn Firefighters Local 1446, wants to see the civil service stay because it's a neutral party.
“(The unions) don't want to lose the golden goose,” Palesh said.
There are no nefarious ties between the two organizations, Parker said. The board listens to the union members' opinions, but other parties can, and do, offer their thoughts, too, Parker said. He said the commission is independent of both city hall politics, and union ideas.
Some people believe that a hired employee would have pressure to do what his or her boss wants, commission secretary Bill Fulton said.
“They listen to everybody's side. There's no influence by other people, like the city manager or the mayor,” Parker said. “It worked all these years, so why all the sudden do they want to change it. It sends up a red flag ... they want to have one person who reports to them.”
Palesh said that the human resource director will report to him, and he reports to the elected council.
“I'm not here for a promotion ... I'm not beholden to any union or anyone else except the citizens (of Auburn),” Palesh said. “My report card is what I leave behind. I've always sided on the side of professionalism.”
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 267 or
jessica.soule@lee.net
Facing the Polls
Residents all over Cayuga County will face referendums. The following are a list of questions they will see in the ballots.
The statewide proposal is as follows:
Amendments to Article 14, section 1 of the Constitution, in relation to the use of forest preserve lands for wells for a municipal water supply in the hamlet of Raquette Lake, Hamilton County. The proposed amendments would allow the state to convey one acre of forest preserve land to the town of Long Lake for public use as the site for drinking water wells and necessary related equipment for the municipal water supply for the hamlet of Raquette Lake. In exchange, the state would receive at least 12 acres of land that is at least equal in value to the land conveyed to Long Lake. The land the state receives would be incorporated in the forest preserve. The Raquette Lake reservoir would be abandoned as a source of drinking water supply. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?
The Cayuga County referendum on term limits is as follows:
Should Local Law No. 7 for the year 1995 be amended to impose a term limit such that no person shall be elected to more than three (3) legislative terms on the Cayuga County Legislature; and that an appointment, together with an election, shall constitute a full term?
Auburn
Should the City of Auburn exercise the option provided by state Civil Service Law, and approve the provisions of local Law No. 6 of 2007, which amends the City Charter eliminating the Civil Service Commission and transferring its functions to a municipal personnel officer?
Niles
Shall the Town of Niles expend not more than $697,387.11 out of Capital Reserves, without Reserves, without additional borrowing to acquire land and to construct a new town highways garage complex adjacent to the Town hall in the hamlet of New Hope?
Town of Sterling/ Village of Fair Haven
Shall the village of Fair Haven enact Local Law No. 5 of 2007 allowing a real property tax exemption for volunteer firefighters residing in the Village of Fair Haven, in an amount established by New York State Real Property Tax Law Section 466?
Montezuma
Shall the number of town justices in the Town of Montezuma be reduced from two to one sole town justice for the Town of Montezuma?
Around the State
Of the state's 62 counties, 56 have county civil service agencies.
New York has 41 cities with their own commissions. Five of these cities have a personnel director rather than a commission: Glens Falls, Oswego, White Plains, Buffalo, and Sherrill.
Jamestown is putting up a referendum to either keep the commission or abolish it and have Chautauqua County take it over. In the next county over, Olean in Cattaraugus County just chose to get rid of the commission.
Not everyone agrees on which result will be best for the city.
No matter who administers the civil service regulations and exams, the city will have to abide by state rules and the state will oversee them.
Auburn city manager Mark Palesh has championed this change almost since his arrival this year. However, abolishing the civil service commission will take the consent of voters.
The city paid for an advertisement advocating for a personnel officer rather than the three commissioners. The mailer said the move would save the city money and allow the city to “negotiate labor contracts efficiently.”
The state Board of Elections said the city should sign up with the Cayuga County Board of Elections as a political advocacy group. This would mean the city would have to show where the money came from and how much it spent.
Palesh said the advertisement is biased in favor of the city, so it's appropriate to spend the city's money on it. He is in the process of hiring a human resource director, who will take on the duties of the human rights office, and would take over civil service duties if the referendum passes.
The commission costs $78,000 in operation costs, salaries and medical benefits, with the Auburn Enlarged City School District footing half the bill. The commission handles about 300 cases for the city and the same for the school district.
The commissioners earn $3,000 annually.
Councilor Matt Smith read a prepared statement during a council meeting urging people to vote to dismember the three-person commission.
He pointed to the fact the commission is appointed partially based on politics. Not all three commissioners can be the same political party, but the city council makes the selections.
“Appointment to this board requires no particular qualifications in the areas of personnel management or human relations, yet these individuals make key decisions that affect all city departments and ultimately affects how the city does business,” Smith stated.
Commission chair Bob Welch said the barrage of personal attacks on the three commissioners is insulting and frustrating.
“It made us look like a bunch of idiots,” Welch said of Smith's speech. The commissioners have experience in government on the county, state or federal level, commission secretary William Fulton added.
The commissioners aren't involved in the hiring process, Welch said, they simply present eligibility lists based on exam scores. Welch said he wonders, therefore, how people can accuse them of being a political entity.
“The independence of the commission (allows it to enforce) the state rules and regulations, but when you have an appointed person where the person who hired you tells you want they want, they have that pressure. They can stretch the law,” Fulton said.
The commission provides exams and reviews applicants' qualifications. From there, the city manager can interview the people who have the top three scores. Because of people getting the same scores, there's no limit to how many there can be. The manager then makes his way down the list.
The commission is designed to act as another layer of checks and balances, Welch said.
“The purpose of the civil service is to make sure the 394th person (on the list) who's a nephew doesn't get hired,” he said.
Palesh maintains the civil service commission has a “roundabout” impact on labor negotiations, as was written in the flyer, because they can control who would be eligible for the fire chief's job.
A single leader could interpret gray areas in favor of the city, what the commission should be doing, Palesh said.
One such area that has frustrated Palesh and some councilors is lateral transfers. This maneuver of hiring already trained workers usually is addressed for the Auburn Police Department and Auburn Fire Department. The board continually favors the fire union, Palesh said.
David Ernst, director of public information for the state Civil Service Commission, said for the most part, the structure is set up to encourage consistent results.
While Ernst recognizes some people may view the state's regulations strictly, and others may view it more broadly, the structure is fairly stable to prevent a large variety of responses.
“If people are reading the law honestly and objectively, there's not a lot of room for interpretation,” Ernst said.
Smith suggested the commission repeatedly refused to accept lateral transfers because they would lose power.
The fire department has had two vacancies since the summer. One firefighter went to Binghamton at end of May, while another left in July for a year of active military duty.
Palesh and members of the city council blame the commission for causing the overtime costs to cover those positions and training expenses because the board denied Palesh the right to hire two trained firefighters.
“It would mean that political favors could no longer be dispensed through this outdated and duplicative commission, at the expense of the city of Auburn taxpayers,” Smith stated.
Welch, on the other hand, wonders why the city didn't hire replacements when the other employees left. Fire Chief Mike Hammon, who was hired a month earlier, said he was overwhelmed when the first one left. They've already missed the August deadline for the firefighters' academy.
The commission maintains such transfers aren't fair to the city residents who pay the money and spend the time to take tests in hopes of getting jobs with city departments. The list for interested firefighter candidates includes nearly 150 people, Welch said.
“We'll allow lateral transfers when the situation warrants it,” Welch said, not when the situation is due to the city's lack of planning.
Palesh sees the commission denying such lateral transfers as “not siding with the taxpayer” because the city then has to pay for training.
The Auburn Firefighter's Local 1446 and Assistant Chief's Local 4021 have encouraged city residents to keep the commission intact.
Steve Parker, president of the Auburn Firefighters Local 1446, wants to see the civil service stay because it's a neutral party.
“(The unions) don't want to lose the golden goose,” Palesh said.
There are no nefarious ties between the two organizations, Parker said. The board listens to the union members' opinions, but other parties can, and do, offer their thoughts, too, Parker said. He said the commission is independent of both city hall politics, and union ideas.
Some people believe that a hired employee would have pressure to do what his or her boss wants, commission secretary Bill Fulton said.
“They listen to everybody's side. There's no influence by other people, like the city manager or the mayor,” Parker said. “It worked all these years, so why all the sudden do they want to change it. It sends up a red flag ... they want to have one person who reports to them.”
Palesh said that the human resource director will report to him, and he reports to the elected council.
“I'm not here for a promotion ... I'm not beholden to any union or anyone else except the citizens (of Auburn),” Palesh said. “My report card is what I leave behind. I've always sided on the side of professionalism.”
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 267 or
jessica.soule@lee.net
Facing the Polls
Residents all over Cayuga County will face referendums. The following are a list of questions they will see in the ballots.
The statewide proposal is as follows:
Amendments to Article 14, section 1 of the Constitution, in relation to the use of forest preserve lands for wells for a municipal water supply in the hamlet of Raquette Lake, Hamilton County. The proposed amendments would allow the state to convey one acre of forest preserve land to the town of Long Lake for public use as the site for drinking water wells and necessary related equipment for the municipal water supply for the hamlet of Raquette Lake. In exchange, the state would receive at least 12 acres of land that is at least equal in value to the land conveyed to Long Lake. The land the state receives would be incorporated in the forest preserve. The Raquette Lake reservoir would be abandoned as a source of drinking water supply. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?
The Cayuga County referendum on term limits is as follows:
Should Local Law No. 7 for the year 1995 be amended to impose a term limit such that no person shall be elected to more than three (3) legislative terms on the Cayuga County Legislature; and that an appointment, together with an election, shall constitute a full term?
Auburn
Should the City of Auburn exercise the option provided by state Civil Service Law, and approve the provisions of local Law No. 6 of 2007, which amends the City Charter eliminating the Civil Service Commission and transferring its functions to a municipal personnel officer?
Niles
Shall the Town of Niles expend not more than $697,387.11 out of Capital Reserves, without Reserves, without additional borrowing to acquire land and to construct a new town highways garage complex adjacent to the Town hall in the hamlet of New Hope?
Town of Sterling/ Village of Fair Haven
Shall the village of Fair Haven enact Local Law No. 5 of 2007 allowing a real property tax exemption for volunteer firefighters residing in the Village of Fair Haven, in an amount established by New York State Real Property Tax Law Section 466?
Montezuma
Shall the number of town justices in the Town of Montezuma be reduced from two to one sole town justice for the Town of Montezuma?
Around the State
Of the state's 62 counties, 56 have county civil service agencies.
New York has 41 cities with their own commissions. Five of these cities have a personnel director rather than a commission: Glens Falls, Oswego, White Plains, Buffalo, and Sherrill.
Jamestown is putting up a referendum to either keep the commission or abolish it and have Chautauqua County take it over. In the next county over, Olean in Cattaraugus County just chose to get rid of the commission.
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GiveMeLiberty wrote on Nov 2, 2007 11:39 AM:
I live here wrote on Nov 1, 2007 11:42 PM:
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A voter wrote on Nov 1, 2007 3:34 PM: