Police Aide (C0015V), CSC Docket No. 2021-52

In In the Matter of Police Aide (C0015V), Camden County (CSC, decided May 2, 2018), the Civil Service Commission (Commission) granted the request of Camden County for an appointment waiver for the October 12, 2017 certification and ordered that no selection costs would be assessed at that time since there was a possibility that the list could be utilized prior to its expiration. A copy of that decision is attached hereto and incorporated herein. However, the appointing authority did not utilize the subject eligible list and the matter of the assessment of costs is now before the Commission.

BackgroundAgency records reveal that one certification was issued from the subject eligible list on June 26, 2017. However, the certification was not returned and no appointments were made. Therefore, Camden County was notified that since the eligible list was not utilized by its July 5, 2020 expiration date, the matter of the costs for the selection process in the amount of $2,048 would be forwarded to the Commission for a determination. However, no response was received.

CONCLUSION

N.J.S.A. 11A:4-5 and N.J.A.C. 4A:10-2.2(a)2 state that if an appointing authority receives permission not to make an appointment, it can be ordered to reimburse the costs of the selection process. While administering examinations and providing the names of eligible job candidates to the jurisdictions under the Civil Service system are two of the primary activities of this agency, these costly efforts are thwarted when appointing authorities fail to utilize the resulting eligible lists to make appointments and candidates have needlessly expended their time, effort and money to take these examinations in hopes of being considered for a permanent appointment. The amount of $2,048 has been determined to be the cost of the selection process for open-competitive examinations for local government positions. In the instant situation, although the appointing authority had shown a valid reason for not making an appointment from the subject eligible list, it has failed to provide a sufficient basis for not being charged for the costs of the selection process which produced the subject eligible list. In this regard, the appointing authority indicated that at the time that the certification for Police Aide was requested, another certification for the title of County Police Officer was also requested. Both of these requests were issued in 2017 and the need for the County Police Officer title took precedence. Therefore, due to budgetary constraints, it was unable to use the Police Aide title. Camden County was given the opportunity to utilize the eligible list within three years; however, agency records indicate that it failed to do so. Thus, it is appropriate that the appointing authority be assessed the costs of the selection process.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that Camden County be assessed the costs of the selection process in the amount of $2,048 to be paid within 30 days of the issuance of this decision.

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