Secretarial Assistant (PC0981V), CSC Docket No. 2021-1764

BackgroundThe Mercer County Board of Social Services (MCBSS) requests that the eligible list for Secretarial Assistant (PC0981V) be revived and extended for one year.

By way of background, the examination for Secretarial Assistant (PC0981V) was announced with a closing date of July 21, 2017. The resulting eligible list promulgated April 26, 2018 and expired April 25, 2021. The list consisted of 16 eligibles and four were permanently appointed. There are no current lists at this time for Secretarial Assistant within the MCBSS, nor do any current announcements exists. The request was made prior to the list’s expiration.

Appellant's argumentIn its request, the MCBSS explains that it is requesting the extension due to Secretarial Assistants who will be retiring in 2021. It also asserts that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, appointments could not be made from the list prior to its expiration. Therefore, it requests that the list be revived and extended to allow it to make upcoming appointments.

The Division of Agency Services indicates its agreement with the appointing authority’s request to revive and extend the subject eligible list to make immediate appointments to the title of Secretarial Assistant.

CONCLUSION

N.J.S.A. 11A:4-6 and N.J.A.C. 4A:4-3.3(b)1 provide that an eligible list may, for good cause, be extended prior to its expiration date, except no list shall have a duration of more than four years. N.J.S.A. 11A:4-6 and N.J.A.C. 4A:4-3.4 provide that an eligible list may be revived in order to implement a court order or decision of the Civil Service Commission in the event of a successful appeal instituted during the life of a list, to correct an administrative error, or for other good cause.

In the instant matter, the subject eligible list expired on April 25, 2021. MCBSS will have vacancies due to retirements in 2021 in the subject title. It could not make appointments prior to the list’s expiration date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, good cause exists to revive and extend the subject eligible until April 25, 2022, so that upcoming vacancies can be filled.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that this request be granted and the eligible list for Secretarial Assistant (PC0981V), Mercer County Board of Social Services be revived and extended to April 25, 2022.

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