Friday's Internet Edition, July 04, 2008.
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News editor - Civil Service just may come to Copperas Cove.
At least that is what a group of firefighters and police officers are hoping to accomplish.
James Myers, Steve Wright and Kellie Mozek of the fire department and Michael Loven and John Oster of the police department area listed as committee members that are circulating a petition to ask voters to approve the adoption of civil service in Copperas Cove.
“We are trying to give officers and firefighters an incentive to come and stay in Copperas Cove,” Myers, who is also a member of the Copperas Cove Texas State Association of Fire Fighters, said. “We lose a lot of our officers because they do not feel secure enough about their jobs.”
In the petition, committee members are asking council to put the proposition on a ballot for a special election.
According to Texas Local Government Code, municipal civil service is to secure efficient fire and police departments composed of capable personnel who are free from political influence and who have permanent employment tenure as public servants.
According to a publication circulated by the committee, Civil Service is a process which was designed to establish a system under which appointments to public employees jobs are made on the basis of fitness and determined by open and competitive examination rather than personal preference, political considerations or prejudice.
“We are trying to get the word out to the citizens that this is something that will benefit the city,” Myers said. “This does not mean that taxes will have to go up. This will just help up retain our police and firefighters from moving to other departments.”
If civil service is implemented into action for the city, Myers said that taxes shouldn’t go up because the law does not require that new personnel be hired to administer the law.
According to the publication from committee members, the statute does not mandate a pay increase for firefighters, police officers or anyone else.
The Director of Civil Service is usually an existing city employee whose duties are expanded to include being the Director of Civil Service.
Members of the commission usually serve at no cost to the community.
If Civil Service is passed in Copperas Cove, a commission of three members selected by the mayor will be formed.
The commission will provide a classification for all firefighters and police officers. They will also establish requirements for all applicants for beginning and promotional positions.
Civil service law also sets the minimum standards for sick leave and vacation leave for officers.
“If this passes, then the way it is now could be the way it will be in five to ten years,” Myers said. “This will allow for us to have a list of steadfast rules that must be followed.”
Guidelines for the petition are close to that of a referendum petition, which is the one circulating for the non-smoking ordinance.
In order for the petition to be submitted, a petition of five committee members have to file an affidavit with the city secretary stating they will witness each signature placed on the petition.
The signatures for the petition then have be be gathered within 45 days of the filing.
After it is turned into the city secretary, an additional ten days are required to make sure that all signatures are from registered voters. They also have to be residents of Copperas Cove.
If the petition is found not to have the correct amount of needed signatures, committee members will have 10 additional days to correct the petition. After the ten days, providing the petition is complete, the City Secretary will certify the petition and present it to City Council.
“We only have about a week left to get the signatures in order for it to go on a September ballot,” Myers said. “We will be going door to door in our off time to speak with citizens about the petition as well as collecting votes.”
Since the committe only needs 10 percent of voter signatures from the last municipal vote, Myers said that they would only need 100 signatures.