Bill would let some fire protection districts dissolve local civil‑service systems, sponsors say

Representative Suzanne Schmidt, prime sponsor of House Bill 1172, told the House Local Government Committee the measure would let some fire protection districts end locally adopted civil‑service systems after a resolution by the board of fire commissioners and a majority vote of affected civil‑service employees.

The bill matters because state civil‑service rules govern hiring, promotion, discipline and related personnel matters for public employees. Elizabeth Allison, staff to the committee, summarized the bill’s effect: a fire protection district that adopted civil service may dissolve that system if the district’s board adopts a resolution and a majority of the…