1991-01-14 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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\J A RESOLUTION OF THE CITEXASU SUPPORTING THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE'S PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 143 (MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE ACT) TO RESTORE PROPER AND EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT TO POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS; ENCOURAGING THE VARIOUS LEGISLATORS REPRESENTING THE AREA TO ADOPT AND SUPPORT SUCH LEGISLATION; AND PROVIDING FOR THE EFFECTIVE DATE THEREOF. WHEREAS, TEX.L.GOV'T.CODE Chapter 143, hereinafter referred to as the Municipal Civil Service Act, was originally enacted forty-three years ago to prevent mismanagement of police and fire departments, and was a needed and well-intentioned statute; and WHEREAS, the numerous amendments to the this law made by the Texas Legislature since 1947 have eroded the ability of local governments to effectively and responsibly manage their police and fire departments under the Municipal Civil Service Act; and WHEREAS, since 1947, politics have been reinstated into police and fire operations through the large campaign contributions of police and fire union organizations made to encourage various amendments limiting the management ability of local government; and WHEREAS, the Municipal Civil Service Act should be amended to provide for hiring and promotion using means other than strictly written exams, therefore allowing municipalities to incorporate affirmative action plans in their police and fire departments; and WHEREAS, the Municipal Civil Service Act should be amended to provide that a municipality may remove itself from the requirements of the Act using the same method that is used to adopt the Act, therefore allowing cities to remove themselves from a provision which has changed dramatically since it was originally created by the Texas Legislature; and WHEREAS, the experience of numerous cities across the State with the use of hearing examiners under the Municipal Civil Service Act has proven the hearing examiner system a failure, in that police chiefs and fire chiefs have lost management authority over their own employees, with a resulting loss in the efficiency and effectiveness of public safety departments in those cities subject to the Municipal Civil Service Act; and WHEREAS, the proposed amendments will assist the City of in maintaining efficient, effective, well-managed police and fire departments, resulting in better public safety for citizens, which is ------ the goal of both the City and the officers in the police and fire department; and