Veterans Service Officer (C0413C), CSC Docket No. 2025-465

In In the Matter of Veterans Service Officer (C0413C), County of Passaic (CSC, decided December 1, 2021), the Civil Service Commission (Commission) granted the request of Passaic County (County) for an appointment waiver for the August 31, 2021 certification and ordered that no selection costs would be assessed at that time since there was a possibility that the eligible list could be utilized prior to its expiration. 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 August 31, 2021. However, the certification was cancelled on December 13, 2021 and no appointments were made. Therefore, the County was notified that since the eligible list was not utilized by its expiration date, which was August 25, 2024, the matter of the costs for the selection process in the amount of $2,048 would be forwarded to the Commission for a determination. The County responded by asking that the selection cost of $2,048 be waived, claiming that the County conducted a review of the subject title, services, and reporting structure which resulted in an internal reorganization of service and staff. It stated that it continues to utilize the Assistant Veteran Service Officer title as the primary service provider under the direction of the County Division of Senior Services. In that regard, it indicated that this organization provides the County with the ability to coordinate the complete menu of services and support needed by the veterans in one division. The County also explained that it is incumbent upon County administration and Human Resources to continually examine the best staffing and practice for the most effective and efficient service delivery. Hence, the appointing authority asserted that assessing costs in this matter will not benefit the veterans served by the County and will serve no purpose to improve staffing organizational development. Therefore, it requested a waiver of the selection costs.

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.

By way of background, the appointing authority had shown a valid reason for not making an appointment from the subject eligible list. The examination for the subject title was generated based on the appointing authority’s appointment of a provisional employee. However, after a complete certification was issued, the appointing authority requested an appointment waiver, stating that the provisional was no longer serving in the subject title. It also indicated that it planned to use the eligible list before the expiration date.

Agency records confirm that the County did not make an appointment before the August 25, 2024 expiration date. In response, it maintains that assessing costs in this matter will not benefit the veterans served by the County and will serve no purpose to improve staffing organizational development. Therefore, it requests that the selection cost of $2,048 be waived. Nonetheless, the fact remains that the appointing authority did not utilize the subject eligible list prior to its expiration, and although it emphasizes that the subject position has remained vacant, it has not presented a sufficient reason to specifically waive the cost of the selection process at this juncture. It is therefore appropriate, for the reasons set forth above, that the appointing authority be assessed the costs of the selection process.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that the Passaic 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.