(a) All applicants for positions and places in the classified service shall be subject to examination, which shall be public and open to all citizens of the United States and those persons who have legally declared their intentions of becoming United States citizens, within certain limitations to be determined by the Civil Service Commission, as to citizenship, residence, age, experience, education, health, habit and moral character, unless otherwise provided in this chapter.
(b) Such examination may include an evaluation of such factors as experience, education, training, capacity, knowledge, habit and moral character, manual dexterity and physical or psychological fitness. Examinations shall consist of one or more tests in any combination. Tests may be written, oral, physical, demonstration of skill, or an evaluation of training and experiences and shall be designed to fairly test the relative capacity of the persons examined to discharge the particular duties of the position for which appointment is sought. Examinations may include structured interviews, assessment centers, work simulations, examinations of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and any other acceptable testing methods. Where minimum or maximum requirements are established for any examination, they shall be specified in the examination announcement.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, when a position in the classified service is to be filled, an examination shall be administered. The Commission shall have control of all examinations. The Commission shall prescribe the notification method that is to be used by the appointing authority to notify the Commission that a position in the classified service of the City is to be filled. Unless prohibited by a collective bargaining agreement, the Commission may allow the appointing authority to fill a position without an examination provided that the appointing authority can provide sufficient justification for such appointment, and provided farther that the opening has been advertised internally and that the candidate meets the stated job requirements and is a current employee of the City.
No questions in any examination shall relate to political or religious opinions or affiliations. No extra credit for seniority, efficiency, or any other reason shall be added to an applicant's examination grade unless the applicant achieves at least the minimum passing grade on the examination without counting such credit. Seniority shall be applied as set forth in this chapter. Reasonable notice of the time, place and general scope of every examination for appointment to a position in the civil service shall be given by the Civil Service Administrative Advisory Officer or designee. Notices of every examination shall be posted in conspicuous appropriate public places such as City Hall and Southwestern City School District Administrative office and posted electronically on the City's and District's internet sites on the World Wide Web for at least one week before any examination.
(d) Any person who is a resident of this State and who has completed service in any branch of the United States armed forces, who has been honorably discharged from the uniformed services or transferred to the reserve with evidence of satisfactory service, or who is a member of the national guard or a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, has completed more than 180 days of active duty service, pursuant to an executive order of the President of the United States or an act of the Congress of the United States, may file with the Commission, or its designee, a certificate of service or honorable discharge, and, upon this filing, the person, on any original appointment, excluding an original appointment for the Chief of Police, shall receive additional credit of 10% of the person's total grade given in the examination in which the person receives a passing grade.
(Ord. C47-85. Passed 7-15-85; Ord. C50-01. Passed 8-20-01; Ord. C20-12. Passed 5-7-12; Ord. C08-13. Passed 2-19-13; Ord. C39-13. Passed 7-1-13.)