Bill Text: DE HB283 | 2011-2012 | 146th General Assembly | Draft

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Bill Title: An Act To Amend Title 9 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Sussex County Government

Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 9-4)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-04-25 - Assigned to Community/County Affairs Committee in Senate [HB283 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2011-HB283-Draft.html

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SPONSOR:	Rep. Wilson & Sen. Booth
	Reps. Hocker, Briggs King, Kenton, Outten, Lee, D. Short, Schwartzkopf, Carson; Sens. Bunting, Venables

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

146th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 283

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 9 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SUSSEX COUNTY GOVERNMENT

WHEREAS, the Delaware Code requires Sussex County government to have proposed personnel rules reviewed b the county's Personnel Board and adopted by county government by ordinance; and

WHEREAS, it is the intent of the General Assembly to specifically give the Sussex County Administrator the authority to administer the county's personnel system;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1.Amend §7006(c), Chapter 70, Title 9, Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strikethrough to read as follows:

(c) Personnel rules. -- The County Administrator shall prepare personnel rules and amendments thereto. The County Administrator shall refer such proposed rules to the Personnel Board which shall report to the Administrator its recommendations thereon. When approved by the Administrator, the rules shall be proposed to the county government, and the county government may by ordinance adopt them with or without amendment. These rules shall provide for:

(1) The classification of all county positions, based on the duties, authority and responsibility of each position, with adequate provision for reclassification of any position, whenever warranted by changed circumstances;

(2) A pay plan for all county positions;

(3) Methods for determining the merit and fitness of candidates for appointment or promotion;

(4) The policies and procedures regulating reduction in force and removal of employees;

(5) The hours of work, attendance regulations and provisions for sick and vacation leave;

(6) The policies and procedures governing persons holding provisional appointments;

(7) The policies and procedures governing relationships with employee organizations;

(8) Grievance procedures, including procedures for the hearing of grievances by the Personnel Board, which may render advisory opinions based on its findings to the County Administrator with a copy to the aggrieved employee; and

(9) Other practices and procedures necessary to the administration of the county personnel system.

Employment or dismissal of county employees shall be subject to the approval of the county government, in its discretion.

SYNOPSIS

This bill makes the Delaware law consistent in Sussex and Kent Counties by giving Sussex County government the same discretion as Kent County government to enact its personnel rules administratively.As the law currently governs, Sussex County is required to refer all proposed personnel rules to the county's Personnel Board, which requires adequate public notice and a formal public hearing.After the Personnel Board review and recommendation, the law requires the county government to adopt the proposed rule by ordinance, which requires a second adequate public notice and a second formal public hearing.This bill eliminates these requirements and allows Sussex County to enact its personnel rules administratively, the same as is allowed in Kent County.