Comment to the San Diego City Council Rules Committee:
The League of Women Voters of San Diego opposes moving the Personnel Department from under the Civil Service Commission to the purview of the Mayor.
We believe that the proposal has the potential for introducing an element of political influence into the hiring and firing process and we believe that politics should be completely separate from all aspects of the hiring and firing process.We believe that city government should promote responsive government with adequate checks and balances in place.
Any efficiencies which might be gained by the proposed change should be weighed against the potential harm by giving the Mayor the power to potentially intervene in civil service decisions or attempt to shift some positions from classified to unclassified status. Similarly, it would enable a single individual to promote or demote someone based on factors other than merit.
San Diego has a reputation for honest and competent delivery of public services which is at least partially due to the City Charter provision which puts the Personnel Director and Department under the purview of the Civil Service Commission.
Let’s keep politics out of the hiring and firing process and instead provide for proper and appropriate checks and balances of power.
Update: The Rules Committee approved sending this to the full Council.
This San Diego Union-Tribune article mentions our comments. On August 2, 2022, the item was put on hold and will not appear on the November ballot (
link).