All promotions in the Police and Fire Departments shall be applied for and made in the following manner:
(A) The employee desiring a promotion shall submit an application, in writing, to the City Manager, advising the rank to which he desires promotion.
(B) The City Manager shall obtain from the chief of the appropriate department his written advice or recommendation as to what should be done with the request, along with his reasons for so recommending.
(C) The City Manager shall make his own written recommendation as to what action should be taken on the request, along with his reasons for so recommending.
(D) The written recommendations of the City Manager and the appropriate chief may be placed before the Board of Commissioners at its next regularly scheduled or special called meeting or may, in the reasonable exercise of the City Manager's discretion, be deferred and submitted to the Board at a future regular or special called meeting to be held on budgetary or personnel matters. All requests for promotion should be submitted and considered and accepted or rejected by the Board within the fiscal year in which the request was made if practicable.
(E) The Board of Commissioners shall, after considering the reports of the chief of the department and the City Manager, the application, the personnel file of the officer in question, and all other matters it deems relevant, take such action as to the promotion as it deems appropriate, whether denying the request or granting it, in whole or in part.
(F) An employee after promotion shall be on probation within the rank for a period of six months, subject to being returned to his former rank at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners if the Board believes he is not performing up to the appropriate standard of duty for the new rank.
(G) The appropriate chief of the department shall develop tests, more complex and difficult for each rank in succession, to be given, in writing, to anyone desiring a promotion. The test scores shall be placed in the employee's personnel file and considered by the Board of Commissioners in evaluating the request for promotion.
(H) The City Manager shall require a written annual evaluation of each employee of the Police and Fire Departments from the appropriate chief. These written evaluations shall be supplied to the City Manager, Mayor, and the Board of Commissioners. A copy shall be provided to each employee involved and a copy shall be placed in the employee's personnel file.
(I) All promotions shall be made on the basis of merit and at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners. No one shall be promoted or shall be entitled to a promotion on the basis of seniority, time employed, or time in grade.
(Ord. 320.2C, passed 11-6-81; Am. Ord. 2002-1, passed 7-1-01)