At such time as the Municipality shall become a City, Council shall, and prior to that time may, by ordinance provide for and establish a Civil Service Commission and a civil service system. The Commission shall consist of three electors of the Municipality, not holding other Municipal office or employment, to be appointed by the Mayor, subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the members of Council, for terms of six years each, except that the three original members of the Commission shall be appointed for terms expiring on the last day of December of the second, fourth and sixth years after their appointment. A vacancy occurring during the term of any member of the Civil Service Commission shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner authorized for an original appointment. The Commission shall designate one of its members as chairman and may appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the Commission and may hold other Municipal office or appointment.
The Council shall determine which employees of the Municipality shall be within the classified service and which shall be within the unclassified service, provided that regular full-time members of the Police and Fire Departments other than the Chief of Police and Fire Chief shall be in the classified service, and provided further that persons, other than those serving a probationary period of employment, who have been continuously employed on a full-time basis in the service of the Municipality in the same or a similar position in the classified service for at least ninety days prior to the date such position is placed in the classified service, shall be retained in the same or similar position without examination until discharged, reduced, disciplined, promoted or transferred in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission.