Open
You may have noticed that my approach is to fix the existing problems and issues with municipal governent and then move on from there.
Here is one that begs for repair in an age of openness.
This is from the Municipal code.
Section 6-1. Authorization
Pursuant to the authority contained in Sections 108A and 108C of Chapter 41 of the General Laws, there shall be established plans which may be amended from time to time by vote of the City Council at a regular or special Council meeting:
(a) classifying positions in the service of the municipality other than those filled by popular election, those under the jurisdiction of the School Committee, the Mayor, and those for which incumbents render contractual services which are nor provided during regularly established working hours, and which do not appear in Schedule A of Section 7 following, into groups and classes doing substantially similar work or having substantially equal responsibilities;
(b) authorizing a compensation plan for positions in the classification plan;
(c) providing for the administration of said classification and compensation plans; and
(d) establishing certain working conditions and fringe benefits for employees occupying positions in the classification plan.
Section 6-4. Classification Plan
(a) All positions in the service of the municipality, except those excluded by Section 1, are hereby classified by titles appearing in Schedules A through K of Section 7 which is made a part hereof. These classes of positions shall constitute the Classification Plan for paid municipal services.
(b) The title of each class, as established by the Classification Plan, shall be the official title of every position allocated to the class and the official title of each incumbent of a position so allocated and shall be used to the exclusion of all other on payrolls, budget estimates and other official records and reports pertaining to the position.
(c) The title of a position which is held by an employee with a dual or a multiple Civil Service rating shall be that recommended by the employee’s department head, or by the administrative authority having jurisdiction over the organization unit to which the employee is assigned with the approval of the Mayor.
(d) Whenever a new position is established or the duties of an existing position are so changed that in effect a new position is created, upon presentation of substantiating data satisfactory to the Mayor, the Mayor shall allocate such new or changed position to its appropriate class.
(e) No position may be reclassified until the Mayor shall have determined such reclassification to be consistent with the Classification Plan. The Mayor may, however, when he considers such action to be necessary for the proper functioning of services, authorize a new classification and assign same to an existing compensation grade or determine the rate to be paid to an incumbent employee.
Section 6-5. Compensation Plan
(a) The Compensation Plan shall consist of Schedules A through K of Section 7 which provide minimum and maximum salaries or wages for certain of the classes in the classification. The salary range of a class shall be the salary range of all positions allocated to the class. If no range is provided, the single rate appearing in Schedules A through K shall be the basis of compensation paid to an employee occupying a position under the appropriate class title.
(b) Each employee shall continue to be paid on the same basis as in effect at the time of adoption of this ordinance unless otherwise provided in the Compensation Plan.
(c) No administrative authority shall fix the salary of any employee in a position in the Classification Plan except in accordance with the Compensation Plan.
(d) No person shall be paid as an employee in any position subject to the provisions in the Classification Plan under any title other than one appearing in Schedules A through K of Section 7 under the title specified by the Director of Civil Service of the Commonwealth based on the duties of the position as determined by the job description prepared by the Mayor.
(e) An employee in continuous employment in a class appearing on Schedules A through K of Section 7 shall receive the increment between his/her present rate and the next higher step rate as follows:
(1) After completion of six months at the minimum or entrance rate.
(2) Thereafter, one year from the date of his/her previous increase.
(3) The increase in rate which this increment represents must be recommended by the employee’s department department head and approved by the Mayor.
(4) The increase shall be based on performance of the employee during the preceding six month or twelve month period and not solely on length of service.
(f) An employee receiving a promotion to a vacant position or to a new position as defined in Section 4(d) shall, upon assignment resulting from such promotion, receive the rate in the compensation grade of the vacant or new position next above his/her existing rate. If the resulting adjustment is less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) on an annual basis for apposition class assigned to Schedules A through K, the adjustment shall be the second rate above the existing rate but within the compensation grade of the vacant or new position.
(g) The employee receiving a promotion and adjustment in rate pursuant to the provisions of the preceding sub-section may receive the next increment of his/her compensation grade effective following completion of twelve months at the rate resulting from the promotion.
(h) The employee who is transferred to a similarly rated or to a lower rated position for the convenience of the municipality shall enter the new position at his/her rate in the position from which he is transferred.
(i) Each administrative authority shall include in its estimates, required by the provisions of Section 31A of Chapter 44 of the General Laws, a pay adjustment section setting forth in detail the amounts which will be required for anticipated pay adjustments during the ensuing year and shall furnish a copy thereof to the Mayor.
(j) No department head, being first initially employed by the City of Methuen, shall be entitled to a retroactive cost-of-living adjustment for the first year of service in the City of Methuen.
(Ord. #641, Eff. May 6th, 1998)
Did you notice anything missing?
I would premise that this is an easy fix. My guess would be that it will not get fixed.