Monterey Proposes New Employee Guidelines To Match Charter

Monterey has proposed new employee policies that would limit the mayor’s authority over personnel decisions.

The Mayor and Board of Aldermen held a work session Monday with MTAS HR Consultant John Grubbs. Grubbs said he drafted a new handbook that includes the responsibilities of the Civil Service Board.

“Through this adoption, you have removed the power from the mayor,” Grubbs said. “You have removed the power of the board and delegated to a Civil Service Board that hires, fires, suspends without pay, you can suspend with pay, you can transfer and they have to terminate, but it is for a cause.”

However, the hiring board does not have authority to promote employees. Grubbs said Monterey’s Charter gives that power to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.

“They don’t have the authority to promote, “Grubbs said. “They can’t. Regardless of what they did in the past, they can’t do it.”

Grubbs said the current employee policies do not match the town’s Charter and have not been updated since 2005. In order for for the new guidelines to pass, the hiring board must approve it before Aldermen vote for full adoption, Grubbs said.

“I have constructed the personnel policy to match the Charter and the Civil Service rules as adopted,” Grubbs said. “(…) The Civil Service Board makes the final adjudication.”

According to Certified Municipal Finance Officer Ella Dishman, the town used to operate under the assumption that the Civil Service Board had the power to promote.

The Civil Service Board is made of three members. The town’s employees collectively appoint one, the board of Aldermen appoint one and the two then pick a third member.