(A) All appointments and promotions of employees in the classified service of the Municipality shall be made according to merit and fitness, to be ascertained, as far as practicable, by competitive examination. The Administrative Director shall be the personnel director of the Municipality to administer the Merit System. The Council shall, by ordinance or resolution, establish a Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures to implement the mandate of this section; provided that appointments to and removal from elected or appointed offices, boards, and commissions created by this Charter or by ordinance or resolution, shall be made in accordance with the specific applicable provision of this Charter or the ordinance or resolution and shall not be subject to this Article. The Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures shall include provisions for causes and procedures for the dismissal, suspension and other disciplinary action with respect to employees in the classified service. The ordinance or resolution that first establishes the Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures under this Charter shall be adopted by September 30, 1981, or as soon thereafter as practicable. The Council may, by ordinance or resolution and from time to time, revise, amend or recodify the Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures first established under this Charter. Employees whose position classifications are included within the classified service who have been continuously employed by the Municipality for at least six months prior to the effective date of the ordinance or resolution first establishing the Municipality's Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures under this Charter shall have permanent status in the classified service without being required to be further qualified by competitive examination; however, such employees shall be subject to all other provisions and requirements of the Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures and shall be subject to all other ordinances and resolutions and administrative regulations of the Municipality.
(B) On and after the effective date of the ordinance or resolution first adopting the Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures under this Charter, except as otherwise provided in this Charter, all compensated positions of employment shall be in the classified civil service except the following offices and positions which shall be in the unclassified or exempt service:
(1) Members of the Council.
(2) The Clerk of Council and other employees of the Council.
(3) The Mayor.
(4) The Administrative Director.
(5) The Finance Director.
(6) The Law Director, Assistant Law Directors, and special legal counsel.
(7) All heads of Departments.
(8) Professional engineers employed by the Municipality.
(9) Members of Boards and Commissions established by this Charter or by Council.
(10) Volunteer and part-time members of the Fire Department and members of the auxiliary police unit within the Police Department.
(11) The Secretary of each Board and Commission established by this Charter or by Council, provided that if such Secretary holds other employment within the classified civil service of the Municipality, this section shall not exempt such person from the requirement of competitive examination to hold such other employment.
(12) Persons of exceptional professional or scientific qualifications.
(13) Unskilled laborers as defined and authorized by the Council, by ordinance or resolution.
(14) Temporary employees who are not employed for more than ninety continuous days or for more than ninety days in one year, or such other groups of employees who are employed on a seasonal basis.
(15) Special categories of employees employed under federal or state programs, as determined by the Council, by ordinance or resolution.
(C) There is hereby created a Personnel Review Board which shall consist of three qualified electors of the Municipality not holding other office or employment with the Municipality to be appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the Council by a majority vote of its members. Not more than two members of the Board shall be adherents of the same political party. Members of the Personnel Review Board shall serve for terms of three years, except that of the three members of the Board first appointed, one shall be appointed for a term of one year, one for a term of two years, and one for a term of three years, all commencing on the effective date of the ordinance or resolution establishing the Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures. The Personnel Review Board shall have the power to hear such appeals from administrative determinations made pursuant to said Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures, as may be authorized by said Code, and may have such other powers and duties as may from time to time be given to it by ordinance or resolution. The Board shall keep a record of its proceedings which shall be open to public inspection and shall conduct its proceedings in accordance with the Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures and the rules of the Board, provided that such rules shall be consistent with the provisions of the Code of Personnel Practices and Procedures.
(D) Unless otherwise provided in this Charter, the Administrative Director shall appoint, whether by original or promotional appointment, all employees within the classified and unclassified service of the Municipality, provided that: such appointments shall be subject to the approval of the Mayor; the positions of employment have first been authorized by Council; and that this provision shall not apply to employees of the Council, Assistant Directors of Law, or the Secretary of any board or commission. The Council shall appoint its employees by a majority vote of its members.