This is an archive of a past election.
See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/alm/ for current information.
LWV LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
Smart Voter
Alameda County, CA March 7, 2000 Election
Measure C
Eliminate Mandatory Recruitment Period
Alameda County

Charter Amendment

128808 / 47.3% Yes votes ...... 143033 / 52.6% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Information shown below: Yes/No Meaning | Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Full Text
Shall the Charter of the County of Alameda be amended to eliminate the requirement that all Civil Service examinations shall have a mandatory recruitment period of 25 days or more?

Meaning of Voting Yes/No
A YES vote of this measure means:
The Charter will be amended.

A NO vote of this measure means:
The Charter will not be amended.

Impartial Analysis from Richard E. Winnie, County Counsel
Section 23720 of the Government Code and Section 9102 of the Elections Code provide that a County Charter may be amended by submitting the proposed measure to the voters.

If a majority of the qualified electors voting on this measure vote for approval, section 36(b) of the Alameda County Charter - Duties of the Civil Service Commission - will be amended to remove the requirement of providing at least twenty-five days notice for each competitive civil service examination for County employment. The Charter currently requires the County to post all employment examination recruitment bulletins for a minimum of twenty-five days. Approval of this measure would allow the County Human Resource Services Department to determine appropriate recruitment time periods for various positions and to shorten the time required for many civil service examinations. The stated purpose of the measure is to restrict excessive numbers of applications for a single position which then require extensive processing and which may delay filling the position.

If a majority of the qualified electors votng on this measure do not vote for approval, the measure will fail and the Alameda County Charter will not be amended.

 
Suggest a link related to Measure C
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Arguments For Measure C
To be considered for a permanent job with Alameda County, applicants must compete in a Civil Service examination. Currently, the County must post exam recruitment bulletins for a minimum 25 days regardless of the number of applications received. This has often resulted in an excessive number of applications for an exam; e.g. 2,212 applications for two Laborer vacancies. Measure C removes this requirement from the Charter. It will be replaced by a County Human Resource policy. No other large California county has such a requirement in their Charter.

These inordinately large applicant pools consume enormous amounts of staff time, delay exam administration, and prolong the selection process. These delays result in good candidates getting jobs elsewhere and frustrate hiring managers and applicants.

Measure C will allow the County to stop receipt of applications as soon as a sufficient number of qualified applicants have been received, allowing for quicker exam administration. If needed, recruitment could be reopened to establish a second applicant pool for a subsequent test administration. Smaller, manageable applicant pools will allow for more frequent and timely test administrations. It will also provide the County with a continuous list of successful candidates. This will enhance hiring and promotive opportunities.

Measure C will not cure all the ills of the Civil Service System. It will allow the County's Human Resource Department to better utilize its resources, to test good candidates before they are lost to other employers, and to shorten the time required for many examinations.

The County will continue to publicly post all Civil Service examinations. Measure C will allow Alameda County to determine the appropriate period needed to recruit for these exams. Passage of Measure C will significantly improve the efficiency of the County's hiring process.

Vote YES on Measure C.

s/Wilma Chan, President, Alameda County Board of Supervisors
s/Fran Jefferson, Executive Director, SEIU Local 616
s/Carolyn Morgan, President, Civil Service Commission
s/Susan Muranishi, County Administrator, County of Alameda

(No arguments against Measure C were submitted)

Text for Measure C
Sec. 26: It shall be the duty of the Civil Service Commission: (b) To provide for the preparation and holding of competitive examinations in order to test the relative fitness of all applicants for appointment to or promotion in the classified Civil Service; provided, however, that noncompetitive qualifying examinations may be given to incumbents with tenure in positions which are reclassified or reallocated, and that the name of each incumbent who qualified in such qualifying examination shall be placed on an eligible list and the said incumbent shall be appointed subject to probation to the reclassified or reallocated position, anything in this Charter to the contrary notwithstanding. Adequate notice but not less than twenty five days notice shall be given of such competitive examination.

Alameda Home Page || Statewide Links || About Smart Voter || Feedback


Created: April 13, 2000 02:34
Smart Voter 2000 <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © 2000 League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.