(A) Competitive examination.
(1) All appointments and promotions by the Village Manager to positions may be made according to merit and fitness to be ascertained so far as practicable by competitive examination. Examination shall be practical and shall relate to those matters which will test fairly the capability and fitness of the candidates to discharge efficiently the duties of the classes for which the examinations are held. Examinations may be assembled or unassembled and may include written, oral, physical, or performance tests or any combination of these. They shall take into consideration such factors as education, experience, aptitude, knowledge, character, physical fitness, and any other qualification which enters into the determination of the relative merit and fitness of applicants.
(2) The purpose of the oral test is to determine the applicant's special character traits, intelligence, mental aptitude, and general attitude. The test may be used to observe the applicant's demeanor and to determine his or her ability to meet the public.
(3) Applicants shall receive credit for seniority in the service of the village on the written examination if one is given which shall be determined as follows: 1% of the total grade attainable in such examination for each of the first four years of such service and 1/2% of such grade for each of the next ten years of such service. Applicants may receive credit for seniority in service other than in the village directly relevant to the position subject to examination as follows: 1/2% of the total grade attainable on the written examination for each year of service, with a maximum of ten years allowable for such computation.
(4) The identity of applicants shall be concealed in all written examinations. The Village Manager may require applicants to submit proof of their age and military service at the time of the examination or prior to appointment.
(5) Competitive examinations shall be open to all applicants who are citizens of the United States and who meet the standards or requirements fixed by the Village Manager with regard to experience, character, age, education, physical condition, and such other factors as may be held to be related to the ability or the candidate to perform efficiently the duties of the position. No question in any test shall relate to race, political or religious opinion, affiliations, or service.
(B) Special entrance examination procedure. For positions such as skilled labor, the Village Manager may adopt or authorize the use of such procedure as he or she determines to be appropriate in order to meet the needs of the service, while assuring the selection of such employees on the basis of merit and fitness.
(1) Such procedures may include:
(a) The testing of applicants singly or in groups at periodic intervals at the place of employment or elsewhere, after such notice as the Village Manager considers adequate;
(b) The registration of applicants who pass a noncompetitive examination or submit satisfactory evidence of their qualification; or
(c) Any variation or combination of the foregoing or other suitable methods.
(2) Special examination procedures shall have the approval of the Village Manager.
(C) Method of rating. Sound measurement techniques and procedures shall be used in rating the results of tests and determining the relative ranking of the candidates. In all examinations the minimum rating by which eligibility may be achieved shall be established by the Village Manager. A minimum rating may also apply to the ratings of any part of the test. Candidates may be required to attain at least a minimum rating on each part of the test in order to receive a passing grade or to be rated on the remaining parts of the test. The final earned rating of the competitor shall be determined by averaging the earned rating on each part of the examination in accordance with the weights established for each part of the examination.
(D) Rating of training and experience. Where a rating of experience and training forms a part of the examination, the Village Manager shall develop such procedures for the evaluation of these factors as will serve to assist in the selection of the best qualified candidates. The Village Manager may verify statements contained in the applications of an applicant and secure further information concerning his or her character and fitness. If, after a list is established, information which materially affects the rating of experience and training, character, or fitness of the applicant, is discovered, the Village Manager shall make a new rating of the applicant's examination and make the necessary adjustments in the lists. The Village Manager shall promptly notify the applicant of any change made in his or her standing and the reasons therefor.
(E) Notification of examination results. Each person who takes an examination shall be given written notice as to whether he or she passed or failed in such examination and of his or her relative standing on the list or of his or her failure to attain a place on the list. Each person in an examination shall be entitled to inspect his or her rating and his or her own examination papers, but examination papers shall not be opened to the general public. Such inspection shall be permitted only during regular business hours and at the office of the Village Manager and within 30 days of the mailing of notice. The Personnel Advisory Board shall certify to the Village Manager the names of those attaining a passing grade.
(1995 Code, § 37.25) (Ord. 75-53, passed 6-9-1975)