Caleb Stratton, CSC Docket No. 2022-279

BackgroundCaleb Stratton appeals the decision of the Division of Agency Services which found that he did not meet the experience requirements for the promotional examination for the “dual” title Assistant Business Administrator/Assistant Planner (PM2395C), Hoboken. A dual title is a title that combines two separate titles into one classification; applicants need to meet the minimum requirements of both titles in order to be declared eligible.

The subject promotional examination had a closing date of February 22, 2021 and was open to employees in the competitive division who had an aggregate of one year of continuous permanent service as of the closing date and met the announced requirements. These requirements included graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree including or supplemented by 21 semester hour credits in professional planning subjects such as the principles of land use planning, history of city planning, planning project design, and planning law and administration. Applicants were also required to possess four years of management experience which shall have involved all of the following management functions: (1) setting program or organizational goals and objectives, (2) establishing organizational structure or determining the need for and developing plans for organizational changes, (3) setting policy for the organization or program managed by establishing program emphasis and priorities and developing operating and procedural guidelines, and (4) directing the work of the organization or program through subordinate levels of supervision; AND one year of professional experience in municipal, county, regional, or state planning. Applicants who did not meet the general Bachelor’s degree educational requirement could substitute additional work experience as described above on the basis of one year of such experience for each thirty semester hours of credit. Also, possession of a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major course of study in human services administration or business administration or public administration or industrial management or industrial engineering or management science or in a program related to the organization, operation, administration, and control of private or public organizations, could be substituted for one year of the first listed experience. Possession of a Master’s degree in Planning from an accredited college or university could be substituted for the one year of the second listed experience. Possession of a current and valid license as a Professional Planner in New Jersey issued by the New Jersey Board of Professional Planners OR possession of a current and valid credential as a Certified Planner issued by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) could be substituted for the education requirement. The appellant was found to be ineligible based on a lack of applicable experience. There were no other qualified applicants, and the examination was cancelled on August 12, 2021.

On his application, the appellant indicated that he possessed a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, and a review of his transcript indicates that he met the educational requirement. He listed one position from June 2012 to the February 2021 closing date, Principal Planner. Official records indicate that the appellant was a provisional Assistant Business Administrator/Assistant Planner from November 2019 to the closing date, and a Principal Planner from June 2013 to November 2019. The appellant was credited with seven years, nine months of planning experience, the second listed experience, and was credited with one year, four months of the first listed experience, in management, in his provisional position. Thus, he was found to be lacking two years, ten months of management experience.

Appellant's argumentOn appeal, the appellant argues that he accrued applicable management experience in his position as a Principal Planner, and he outlines some of his duties.

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.6(a) provides that applicants shall meet all requirements specified in the promotional examination announcement by the closing date. N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.6(c) provides in pertinent part that applicants for promotional examinations with open competitive requirements may not use experience gained as a result of out-of-title work to satisfy the requirements for admittance to the examination or for credit in the examination process, unless good cause is shown for an exception.

AnalysisIn this matter, the Division of Agency Services correctly determined that the appellant was ineligible for the subject examination. The appellant was properly credited with one year, four months of management experience based on his provisional service in the title under test. However, management experience would be considered out-of-title work for the incumbents in the Principal Planner title, which is a supervisory title. Based on his appeal, the appointing authority was notified that the appellant was claiming that he was working out-of-title performing managerial duties, and it opted not to support this claim. As such, a basis for accepting out-of-title experience has not been presented. Additionally, there is no basis to accept his provisional experience after the closing date as it would not provide him enough managerial experience to qualify him for the subject examination. In sum, the appellant lacks one year, four months of managerial experience as of the February 2021 closing date.

An independent review of all material presented indicates that the decision of the Division 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 his burden of proof in this matter.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that this appeal be denied.

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