Civil Service Merit Board defers vote on rule amendments after public concerns about counsel independence and testing changes

The Civil Service Merit Board moved on Tuesday to delay a final vote on a package of proposed amendments to its civil service rules after public comment and board discussion highlighted questions about legal counsel independence and testing thresholds.

Chair Bill Lyons opened the meeting’s public hearing portion and said the single public item was proposed revisions to the civil service rules and regulations. A member of the public told the board that moving the board’s "primary, legal representation for the board" to the city law department — an office whose head is appointed by the mayor — could ‘‘create a potential conflict’’ and asked whether the board had historically used the law department as its primary counsel or relied on outside counsel.

Devin Lyons, who presented the draft changes, described the package as largely housekeeping and said he had incorporated…