Civil Service Commission Grants Mayor’s Request for Waiver

Monday morning, the Civil Service Commission for Circleville voted unanimously to approve Circleville Mayor Michelle Blanton’s request to waive certain procedural requirements of the Ohio Civil Service Act as specified in the Ohio Revised Code so that the City of Circleville can open up the application process for the next Chief of Police to outside applicants.

At issue were two different opinions as to what would be best for the City’s Police Department. Would it be better for the city to bring in the next chief of police from outside in order to “clean house” and “have a breath of fresh air,” or would it be better to promote from within which would surely improve the morale of the current police force?

The job description requires that an internal applicant have at least one year of management experience, which no one in CPD currently met, on technicalities. The job description also requires that the applicant have 5 years of experience in the Circleville Police Department, which no outside applicant would have.

Representing the City was Attorney Benjamin Humphrey of Fishel, Albrecht & Riepenhoff LLP, who said, “Either way the Commission decides, you will be looking at exceptions to a rule.”

CPD experienced the resignation and retirement of both the Chief of Police and the Assistant Chief of Police earlier this year. The position of Police Captain was also vacant at the time.

Currently, Sergeant John Farrelly is serving as the Acting Deputy Chief of Police. At Monday’s meeting, he left no doubt that he was interested in being named the permanent Chief of Police.

Speaking for the City, Mayor Blanton defined the City’s interests as the desire to open up the application process to outside applicants so that there would be competition for the position. In another part of the proceedings, Blanton stated that she felt that the morale of the police force had improved in the past 60 days.

During Farrelly’s testimony, he explained that he had over 17 years of experience with the Circleville Police Department. He also told the story of a time when he was demoted and explained that he had wanted to discipline a patrol officer who committed certain infractions. His request for discipline was denied by the Chief of Police. Farrelly pressed the issue by “jumping outside the chain of command“ and asking the Safety Director to open up an investigation. In the end, his request was denied and he was the one who received discipline in the form of a demotion.

Attorney Humphrey pressed Farrelly on his current leadership abilities, asking why Farrelly had not been willing in current matters to go around leadership again.

Farrelly responded, “I got disciplined the first time I did it, so why would I do it again?”

The Mayor appoints and the City Council approves the members of the Civil Service Commission for the City of Circleville. It is the Commission’s duty to interpret and enforce the rules of the Ohio Civil Service Act as specified in the Ohio Revised Code. They are neither agents for the city nor the union.

The representatives of the Civil Service Commission, Matthew Tootle, Chair, Stacy Young and Amy Elsea, heard presentations from the attorneys, Mayor Michelle Blanton, and Acting Police Chief John Farrelley. After listening to all of the testimony, they first decided to take up the issue of the requirement in the job description that an applicant have one year’s experience.

The Commission voted unanimously to reduce the experience requirement from one year to six months. The effect of this ruling was to allow both sergeants currently serving the city to be able to sit for the exam, the next step in the application process for qualified applicants. The Commission also ruled to allow the city to accept outside applicants.

Representing Ohio’s Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the union that represents the Circleville Police, was Daniel Leffler, Chief Legal Counsel, who said, “We appreciate the Commission’s time and attention to hear our arguments today. While we would have not liked to have opened it up to the outside applicants, we think it is fair that all of the current sergeants will be able to take the examinations.

“We asked the Commission to open up the promotional exam to internal and external candidates, and at the end of today’s meeting, they did that,” Blanton said.

In the end, the Commission’s ruling was a win-win. The union won the ability to have both sergeants apply for the exam, and the city won the ability to bring in outside applicants, thus obtaining the competitive process they desired.

The result will be a strong pool of applicants for the next Chief and Assistant Chief of Police positions, which is a third win, a win for the citizens of Circleville.