Poll shows support for reforming city’s sluggish hiring but concern about politics in the process

A poll completed last year shows that over 70% of those surveyed support most of the elements of a proposed charter amendment intended to speed up the city’s hiring process, something voters could be asked to decide in November.

A memo posted by the city on March 1 shows results from the survey that was conducted in late October. It polled 909 likely voters and asked them their feelings on reconfiguring the city’s hiring process as well as adding new preferences for locals and graduates of local colleges and universities.

City officials have said reforming the city’s lengthy hiring process is necessary to help close a 22% vacancy rate across all city departments. Currently, it takes an average of about seven months to fill an empty position, according to the city.

The mayor and city manager have backed a proposal that would centralize hiring in the Human Resources Department and do away with the Civil Service Department’s role in testing and ranking candidates.

The idea, however, needs voter approval, and it’s already facing pushback from labor groups and the Civil Service Department and Commission, who say they’re worried the changes may undercut employees’ rights and weaken safeguards against cronyism — arguments that could be convincing to many voters.

When the city polled likely voters about the charter amendment, 71% said they would support or they leaned toward supporting it, according to FM3 Research, a firm hired by the city to conduct the survey.

Just 18% said they wouldn’t support it or leaned toward not supporting it with 10% of people undecided. The proposed charter amendment would need a simple majority of votes to be adopted.

The poll showed strong support for promoting efficiency in city hiring, retaining the current merit-based hiring standards and reducing the time it takes to fill vacant positions.

However, the survey showed that the idea that the proposal could weaken the Civil Service Commission and give more power to politicians and bureaucrats like the city manager significantly reduced support for the charter amendment. After being presented with this argument, 39% of likely voters said they were less likely to support the idea; 38% said they were more likely.

Those are similar to the concerns raised by some labor representatives and Civil Service Commissioners who have suggested that the current proposal, which would shift hiring functions away from Civil Service and into the Human Resources Department, could consolidate power in the city manager’s office and weaken employees ability to appeal disciplinary decisions.

Civil Service Commissioners are expected to take a formal position on the proposed amendment this week. All signs suggest that the commission will oppose it as currently written.

At least two labor groups representing nearly 60% of the city’s unionized employees have also signaled they don’t support the current proposal.

A separate memo published by the city last week said that it’s extending discussions with employee labor groups about the charter amendment, which will push back the timeline for the proposal to arrive in front of the City Council.

Charter amendments require three public hearings before the council can put the issue on the ballot. To get the measure on the November ballot, they must complete those hearings by Aug. 6.