NEWBURGH – The civil service test for Newburgh police chief administered next week is going to be an open competitive exam, meaning any officer who fits the experience requirement from within and outside the department, may take the exam.
Acting Police Chief Daniel Cameron has been lobbying for an internal promotional exam saying it would be unfair to require that he take the open competitive test.
A supporter of Cameron, Mayor Judy Kennedy has now openly gotten into
the debate writing to all three civil service commissioners stating her
argument for an internal promotional exam, saying it would be a step backwards
for the city if Cameron is not offered a promotional exam.
At least one council member, Cindy Holmes, charged Kennedy with wanting to “insert politics” into the process. “Civil Service was created to avoid politics in the appointment of certain positions,” Holmes told MidHudsonNews.com.
“The Civil Service laws state that vacancies are to be filled by promotional examination rather than by open-competitive examination, as far as practicable,” Kennedy wrote to the commission members. “The law also states that positions in the competitive class above entry-level are generally filled by promotion from among individuals holding competitive class lower grade positions in direct line within the department in which the vacancy exists. The spirit of Civil Service law is to give internal candidates the opportunity for advancement.”
The mayor argued that a promotional test should be offered to any lieutenant who has been doing the work of the deputy chief since 2010 when the latter position was abolished. “This commission must consider these factors if the members do not want to be viewed as discriminating against internal, qualified candidates which is exactly what the civil service laws are meant to prevent.”
In an emailed letter to her fellow city council members, Kennedy wrote that if a promotional exam is not offered, the city will lose Cameron, who “is highly regarded at the state level.” She said he is “the primary reason we have been given the grants we have” and she said she had been told that “we will be in jeopardy of losing the grants we have and will not be given the additional grants we seek if we cannot support good leadership when we have it.”
Holmes disputed that argument saying the city has received grants under different police chiefs and will continue to do so.
Kennedy told her colleagues that “unless the state and the federal government have faith in our leadership, we are NOT going to get the support we need to turn Newburgh around.”
The mayor told the council members they may say the Civil Service Commission “should not be influenced by political forces. I would agree with that statement if they had not already been influenced for the last year by several members of our council.”
Appointment of a police chief is within the exclusive purview of the city manager as long as the successful candidate scores within the top three on the civil service test. Holmes has recommended that be modified to require confirmation of the appointment by the city council, just as the State and US Senates have confirmation powers over key appointments by the governor and president.
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