(a) No officer or employee in the classified service shall have vacation or furlough days taken away, or be suspended, demoted or removed except for cause and after hearing before the Mayor, except that the Chief or Acting Chief of the Police Department or the Chief or Acting Chief of the Fire Department may suspend an officer or employee temporarily for a period not to exceed ten days pending a hearing before the Mayor.
(b) The charges against such officer or employee shall be in writing, and shall be specific. The hearing before the Mayor on such charges shall be conducted in an informal manner. The Mayor shall have such authority and powers as may be necessary to summon witnesses and to cause them to appear before him or her to testify regarding matters that may be under consideration. The officer or employee charged shall be entitled to have the Mayor summon witnesses for such hearing to testify in his or her behalf.
(c) Upon a finding of guilty of such charge or charges, the Mayor shall have the authority:
(1) To take away or forfeit any portion of such officer’s or employee’s vacation or furlough days for a one-year period;
(2) To suspend without pay for purposes of discipline an officer or employee for any period not to exceed 30 days, provided, however, that successive suspensions shall not be allowed, except that an officer or employee indicted for commission of a felony may be suspended without pay until found not guilty of such charge, or the charge against him or her is dismissed;
(3) To demote in rank; and/or
(4) To remove such officer or employee from the service or employment.
(d) Any officer or employee having vacation or furlough days taken away, or who is suspended, demoted or removed, may appeal in writing the decision or order of the Mayor, to the Civil Service Commission, provided that such written notice of appeal is filed with the Secretary of the Civil Service Commission within ten days from the receipt of such order or decision by such officer or employee. Upon receipt of the written notice of appeal, the Civil Service Commission shall set a date for hearing such appeal within 30 days from the receipt of the notice of appeal, and shall notify the Mayor and the appellant of the date and time of hearing.
(e) The Civil Service Commission shall have and may exercise such powers as may be necessary to summon witnesses and to cause them to appear before it to testify regarding matters that may be under consideration. The hearing shall be conducted in an informal manner and the Civil Service Commission shall be the sole judge of the admissibility of evidence. The Civil Service Commission may affirm, modify or disaffirm the decision or order of the Mayor.