(a) The Personnel Board shall have the power:
(1) To adopt rules of practice and procedure governing its proceedings which shall have the force of law to the extent consistent with the terms of this Charter.
(2) To hear and to decide finally for the County in open meeting appeals from and actions pertaining to the allocation or reallocation of positions, appeals from any disciplinary action suspending, reducing in rank or pay, or removing any officer or employee in the classified service, and any other action designated by law or collective bargaining agreement to be subject to grievance procedures.
(3) To hear and to decide finally for the County appeals from any action pertaining to the methods of examination, certification, or preparation of eligibility lists for appointment or promotion.
(4) To advise and consult, as appropriate, with County officials on matters concerning the administration of the County classified service and to report to the County Executive and County Council upon the operation of the merit system.
(5) To review and comment on any proposed personnel rule or regulation pertaining to methods of holding competitive examinations, the general character of examinations for original appointment and promotion, transfers of employees within the classified service, and the procedures for determining the eligibility of applicants to participate in examinations prior to adoption.
(6) To retain private legal counsel, consistent with the budget, to advise the Board with respect to any of its duties, responsibilities, or functions, including any matter pending before it.
(b) Within 30 days after any final decision by the Personnel Board is rendered, any person aggrieved by the decision of the Board and a party to the proceedings before it may appeal such decision to the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, which shall have power to affirm the decision of the Board, or if such decision is not in accordance with law, to modify or reverse such decision, with or without remanding the case for rehearing, as justice may require. Within 30 days after the decision of the Circuit Court is rendered any party to the proceeding who is aggrieved thereby may appeal such decision to the Appellate Court of Maryland. The review proceedings provided by this section shall be exclusive.
(c) The parties to any appeal which the Personnel Board may hear under subsection (a)(2) of this section may submit the matter to binding arbitration. The County Council shall by ordinance provide for the implementation of this section.
(Res. No. 79-84; Res. No. 40-88; Res. No. 35-92; Res. No. 36-92)
Editor’s note - A legislatively referred constitutional amendment appeared on the ballot as Maryland Question 1 at the General Election held on November 8, 2022. Question 1 asked the voters in Maryland to change the Maryland Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court of Maryland and the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to the Appellate Court of Maryland. The majority of votes cast in the November 8 General Election were in favor of the constitutional amendment. The Court of Appeals of Maryland is now the Supreme Court of Maryland, and the Court of Special Appeals is now the Appellate Court of Maryland.