Tawana Martin, CSC Docket No. 2020-1477

BackgroundTawana Martin appeals the decision of the Division of Agency Services (Agency Services) which found that she did not meet the education and experience requirements for the open-competitive examination for Assistant Chief Accountant (M0606W), Newark.

The subject examination had a closing date of May 7, 2018 and was open to residents of Newark who met the announced requirements. These requirements included graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree twenty-one college level credits in professional accounting subjects, AND four years of supervisory accounting experience in work involving the installation, operation, and keeping of large scale systems of accounts, AND certification as a Registered Municipal Accountant. Applicants who had satisfactorily completed twenty-one credits of professional accounting courses at an accredited college or university could substitute additional accounting experience as described for the remainder of the above educational requirement on a year for year basis. The appellant was found to be ineligible based on a lack of education and experience. As there were no admitted candidates, the examination was cancelled on February 8, 2019.

On her application, the appellant indicate that she possessed a Bachelor’s degree, and listed 19 credits in accounting. Additionally she listed experience in the following positions: Instructor/Teacher Assistant (part-time, 32 hours per week) with Burch Charter School of Excell; Financial Services/Tax Consultant with United Way; Supervisor-HR with Newark Public Schools; Senior Accountant

(overlaps with first position, no hours given); Per Diem Teacher (no hours given) with Newark Public Schools; Human Resource Services- Supervisor of Records Verification with Newark Public Schools; Legal Secretary 2 with the Office of the Attorney General; Community Project Coordinator (overlaps with Legal Secretary 2, part-time, no hours given); Principal Clerk Typist; Various positions with Pomerantz Staffing Services (no months and years of service given, no hours given); Various positions with Accountemps (no months and years of service given, no hours given); VITA Coordinator/Tax Preparer with Internal Revenue Service (no months and years of service given, no hours given). None of the appellant’s experience was applicable and she was found to be lacking four years of applicable experience.

Appellant's argumentOn appeal, the appellant states that she was required to have the education or experience and/or certification, and she has the education and experience required to be eligible.

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.3(b) provides that applicants shall meet all requirements specified in the open competitive examination announcement by the closing date. N.J.A.C. 4A:2-1.1(b) states that, unless a different time period is stated, an appeal must be filed within twenty days after either the appellant has notice or should reasonably have known of the decision, situation or action being appealed.

AnalysisAt the outset, Notifications of Ineligibility were sent on January 16, 2019, and the appellant appealed this issue in a letter postmarked November 23, 2019. The appellant does not explain the reason for her delay in her appeal submission. Under these circumstances, the appeal is clearly untimely and is dismissed solely on those grounds.

An independent review of all material presented indicates that the decision of Agency Services that the appellant did not meet the announced requirements for eligibility by the closing date is amply supported by the record. The appellant provides no basis to disturb this decision. Thus, the appellant has failed to support her burden of proof in this matter.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that this appeal be dismissed as untimely.

ClosingThis is the final administrative determination in this matter. Any further review should be pursued in a judicial forum.