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RG 7 Civil Service Commission (1919-present)
History
A 1919 amendment to the city charter established the Baltimore
City Service Commission ("civil" was exchanged for "city" in the
agency's title in I960). The mayor appointed three unpaid
commissioners for six years, and the commissioners annually elected
one of their number as president. The commissioners in turn appointed
a salaried chief examiner who acted as both the secretary of the
commission and the administrator of examinations.
Creation of the commission in 1919 marked the culmination of a
lengthy effort to reorganize city personnel matters. The commission
was authorized to classify and re-classify all municipal jobs (with
the exception of mayoral appointments and appointments involving
teaching or supervisory work) and to make appointments based on a
merit system. The 1946 city charter empowered the commission to
establish additional classes when deemed necessary and to rule on both
individual and group appeals concerning such matters as leave,
dismissals, and transfers. Also required of the commission was
maintenance of eligibility lists for classified positions.
The commission was instrumental in the establishment of a
general municipal pension and retirement system in 1926. This plan
was the first of its kind in Baltimore and provided retirement,
disability, and death benefits for municipal employees. A board of
trustees determined the eligibility of employees for benefits from the
retirement futid. In conjunction with creation of the fund, the
commission established a mandatory retirement age of 70 for civil
service employees.
Although there were sporadic attempts to improve the efficiency
of the commission, the first successful effort came in 1954. The
commission at that time hired an independent company to develop
classification, wage, and salary policies. Additional studies were
conducted in subsequent years in an effort to improve city personnel
functions.
Records Summary
The most important records for tracing the history of the
municipal civil service are the minutes of the commission. The first
few years of minute? Je^^^ibc general organizational matters. From
1922 to 1950 the minutes mainly concern classifications and transfers,
leaves, and dismissals of individual employees. After 1950 the
minutes generally discuss examinations and special group appeals. The
remainder of the records consist of general administrative records of
the commission and personnel records. Personnel records are
restricted and require prior authorization before their use.
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