Aurora – Firefighters and police officers lined a room at City Hall on Tuesday to listen to plans that could change the way they are hired and promoted.
A City Council subcommittee on public safety is reviewing whether the Civil Service Commission should continue to test and screen applicants as well as choose finalists for promotion.
Police Chief Dan Oates and Fire Chief Casey Jones want the authority to hire and promote taken away from the commission and given to their respective departments under the auspices of the city’s human resources department.
The Key Community Response Team, a citizen’s group that provides feedback on racial issues, supports the proposal.
The changes, however, are not popular with police and fire unions or with members of the Civil Service Commission.
“We don’t want to go back to the good old boy’s system,” said Don Cunningham, commissioner for 12 years.
Bryan Butler, vice president of the Aurora Police Association, fears the changes may lead to the elimination of the Civil Service Commission and make it impossible to dispute the chiefs.
“The Civil Service Commission affords us a capability of dissent,” he said. “Chief Oates is a good guy. But can we expect the chief after him to be the same?”
Oates said the city must make the changes to allow more flexibility in hiring and promotions to attract candidates in an increasingly competitive market for cops.
“I believe fundamental change is needed for me to accomplish the council’s goals,” he said.
The subcommittee meets again next week before sending the proposal to the full council for approval. Voters would have to approve any changes to the city’s charter.
