City Charter: Article 10 Revisions

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Q1: What is Article X of the City Charter, and why is it being proposed that it be revised? Article X of the City of Hamilton Charter governs the City's Human Resources functions and the Civil Service Commission. It outlines how City employees are hired, promoted, and managed. The Charter dates back to the 1920s, and these revisions are necessary to modernize the language, reflect current organizational structures, and implement best practices in human resources management, ensuring the City can efficiently serve its residents.

Q2: Who recommended these changes? These proposed revisions to Article X were unanimously recommended by the Hamilton Charter Review Commission. This is a group of dedicated Hamilton residents who applied and were appointed by City Council to thoroughly review the Charter and recommend updates.

2025 Charter Review Commission Members were: David Davidson (Chair), George Bowman, Gina Brown, Victoria Cross, Jeff Gambrell, Rose Hurley, Thomas John, Alexandria Johnson, Jeremy Lehman, Duane Moore, Bethany Spaeth, Maria Streimer, and Robert Richter.

Q3: When will these changes go into effect if approved? If approved by voters on the ballot, the changes would take effect as specified within the new language, with some staggered initial appointments for the Civil Service Commission commencing January 1, 2026.

Civil Service Commission

Q8: What is the Civil Service Commission, and what is its role? The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is a three-member body that oversees the merit system for hiring, promotion, and discipline within the City's classified service (most non-appointed City employees, including Police and Fire). It ensures fairness, transparency, and adherence to established rules.

Q9: How will Civil Service Commissioners be appointed under the changes to Article X? Currently, two Commissioners are appointed by the City Council and one by the Hamilton Board of Education. The proposed change will have all three Civil Service Commissioners appointed solely by the City Council. Since the Hamilton City School District no longer uses the Civil Service Commission, it is recommended that their appointee be appointed by City Council. This streamlines the appointment process and maintains accountability through the City's elected body.

Q10: Why is the political party affiliation requirement for Civil Service Commissioners being proposed for removal? The current Charter, dating back to the 1920s, required City Council to appoint Commissioners from different political parties. This is an outdated provision that reflects an era of political patronage. Hamilton City Council candidates already run without party affiliation, and removing this requirement from the CSC ensures that Commissioners are appointed based solely on their merit, qualifications, and ability to serve the public interest, rather than their political alignment. This promotes a truly non-partisan approach to civil service oversight.

Q11: Will the Civil Service Commission still have independent oversight? Yes, absolutely. The Civil Service Commission retains its critical independent oversight role in ensuring fairness and adherence to merit-based principles in City employment. The changes primarily relate to its appointment process and administrative support, not its fundamental authority.

Q12: Who would serve as the Secretary to the Civil Service Commission? Instead of a separate appointed director, a member of the Human Resources Department staff will now serve as the Secretary for the Civil Service Commission. This integrates administrative support more efficiently within the HR department while still providing dedicated assistance to the Commission. Again, this aligns with best practices of surrounding communities who have a Civil Service Commission. 

Human Resources

Q4: What is the main proposed change regarding the Department of Human Resources? The revisions formalize and update the role of the Department of Human Resources (HR) as the central body responsible for all employee-related matters. While HR has already been performing many of these functions since 2016, the updated Charter language officially reflects this expanded scope, including areas like recruiting, training, policy development, and employee relations.

Q5: What is the "Director of Human Resources" change about? The position of Director of Human Resources will change from "classified" to "unclassified" status. This means the Director will be appointed by the City Manager, similar to all other City directors (like the Finance Director or Public Works Director). This change reflects current best practices of surrounding communities – large and small – and provides the City Manager with greater flexibility to appoint a highly qualified leader for this critical department.

Q6: How will job application and testing notices be communicated? To modernize communication, test notices and application updates will primarily be posted electronically on the City's official website. This improves accessibility and efficiency for applicants while still allowing for physical postings when appropriate.

Q7: Will these changes affect current City employees' jobs or benefits? No, these changes are primarily administrative and structural, designed to modernize the City's hiring and human resources processes. They will not negatively impact current employees' job security, classifications, or benefits. In fact, by streamlining HR operations, employees may experience improved and more efficient HR services.

Hiring Process Improvements

Q13: How do the changes affect entry-level hiring from eligible lists? The revisions update the rules for certifying candidates from eligible lists for entry-level positions. The City will now be able to certify either the top 10 candidates or the top 25% of an eligible list, whichever is greater. This provides more flexibility in identifying qualified candidates, especially for larger eligibility lists, and helps the City fill vacancies more efficiently.

Q14: Can candidates be removed from consideration after multiple certifications? Yes, a new provision allows candidates on an entry-level eligibility list who have been certified three or more times for the same position to be removed from future consideration upon the request of the appointing authority and approval by the Civil Service Commission. This helps manage eligible lists and focus on candidates who are actively pursuing opportunities.

Terminology and Clarity

Q15: What does "classified" and "unclassified" service mean in the Charter? The "classified service" includes most City positions for which merit and fitness are determined by competitive tests (e.g., Police Officers, Firefighters, many administrative roles). The "unclassified service" includes positions like elected officials, department directors, and certain roles that are typically appointed based on professional qualifications rather than competitive testing. These revisions help ensure positions are appropriately categorized.

Q16: Are there any other minor changes to language or titles? Yes, the revisions also include updates to outdated titles and terms (e.g., "Secretary" to "Executive Administrative Coordinator" or "Administrative Coordinator") to better reflect the City's current organizational structure and modern language. This is part of making the Charter clearer and more consistent.