It's time to take Newburyport's police marshal and fire chief out of Civil Service, an outdated and restrictive system that has long since outlived its purpose.
Civil Service has been part of the political landscape since the latter part of the 1800s, a remnant of a time in America when political bosses rewarded friends with jobs on the public payroll and punished enemies with pink slips. In its day it was an effective means of combatting rampant political patronage.
Times have changed. The days of the old ward bosses and strong-arm mayors are gone. Governments are run in a more sophisticated and open fashion. Yet Newburyport remains among a small minority of Massachusetts communities that still clings to Civil Service.
City Councilor Ed Cameron has introduced a measure to rid Newburyport of Civil Service for the police marshal and fire chief positions. The rest of the council ought to consider it and speed it along.
One of the strongest arguments against Civil Service is the restraints it places on the hiring of police and fire chiefs. The choice is limited to internal candidates and further restricted to the top three scorers on the Civil Service test.
This obviously takes away the mayor's ability to find the best qualified candidate. Indeed, you need look no further than neighboring Salisbury to see a good example of the benefits of eliminating Civil Service.
Five years ago Salisbury Town Manager Neil Harrington had the police chief's job removed from Civil Service. Harrington, who served as Salem's mayor at one time, has noted that Civil Service exams don't necessarily identify good managers. He threw open the doors for all to apply, then created a deliberate screening process involving a search committee and a follow-up screening by an independent consultant. This was all about taking the politics out of the process.
The end result was a fine choice — Chief David L'Esperance, a former West Newbury officer who has done an exemplary job of policing Salisbury's streets and managing the small department. Under the restrictions of Civil Service, L'Esperance would not have even qualified to apply for the job.
Civil service brings with it another piece of outdated baggage. Disciplinary actions against Civil Service employees are brought before the state's Civil Service Commission, an agency that is notorious for siding with employees. We elect mayors to make the tough decisions — if they get it wrong, they'll pay at the ballot box. But there is no such check-and-balance in place for the Civil Service Commission; if anything we can count on it to make a biased decision.
We agree with Cameron and Mayor Donna Holaday's viewpoint — it's time to get rid of Civil Service, effective when the current police marshal and fire chief retire. That will likely be within the next few years.
There will always be legitimate concerns that political favors go hand in hand with politicians. But there are ways to set up protections and roadblocks to prevent the kind of bold patronage that led to the Civil Service's creation. We like Holaday's suggestion that the city set up a formal interview and screening process for the police and fire chief jobs. The screening committee would include citizens, councilors, the mayor and perhaps a chief from a nearby town.
It's a good suggestion. It recognizes that protections can be put in place to prevent grossly political hires.
Wild weather for Memorial Day weekend
Inspiration for the class of 2012
Colorado College Student Shot While Trespassing
Will Smith & Josh Brolin on "Men in Black 3"
80-Year-Old Skydiver's Nightmare Jump
JWoww Sizzles in a Black Bikini
Sliders on the Grill
Cruise ship crunch
Backstage With Beyonce
Ultimate Creamy Potato Salad
Pope's Personal Butler Under Arrest
Jenny McCarthy's New Man
Tyler's Classic Coleslaw
Britney Spears Under X Factor Fire
Flesh-Eating Bacteria Victim Hits Milestone
Hurricanes and Heat Waves Across America
Kristen Stewart Is Red Hot
Shark Attacks Australian Fishing Boat
Bradley out for playoffs
Kayaker Survives Trip Over Washington Waterfall
