Management Specialist (C0506C), CSC Docket No. 2025-2348

In In the Matter of Management Specialist (C0506C), Burlington County (CSC, decided January 18, 2023), the Civil Service Commission (Commission) granted the request of Burlington County for an appointment waiver for the May 2, 2022 certification and ordered that no selection costs would be assessed at that time since the appointing authority requested to reserve the right to utilize the list for future opportunities. However, it did not utilize the subject eligible list and the matter of the assessment of costs is now before the Commission.

BackgroundAgency records reveal that the first and only certification was issued from the subject eligible list on May 2, 2022. However, the certification was cancelled on January 23, 2023 and no appointments were made. Therefore, Burlington County was notified that since the eligible list was not utilized by its April 27, 2025 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 not provided a sufficient basis for not being charged for the costs of the selection process which produced the subject eligible list, nor is it challenging the costs in this matter. In this regard, the examination for the subject title was generated based on the appointing authority’s need to fill a vacancy. However, after a complete certification was issued, the appointing authority requested an appointment waiver, explaining that recent developments had caused Burlington County to reevaluate the need to fill the subject position. Additionally, it requested to reserve the right to utilize the list for future opportunities. However, agency records indicate that it failed to do so. Therefore, based on the foregoing, it is appropriate that the appointing authority be assessed the costs of the selection process.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that Burlington 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.