County clerk outlines civil service report and proposes Sept. 29 summit to modernize testing

Anthony Patrusi, Berkeley County's county clerk, presented the Civil Service Commission's annual report and told the commission he plans a tri-county summit on Sept. 29 to press for modernization of state civil service code and testing practices.

Patrusi said the report is 165 pages but that the "first 15 pages is basically the heart of it" and described plans to invite elected officials, sheriff's offices, county clerks and legal representatives from Berkeley, Morgan and Jefferson counties. He said the agenda would include testing modernization, discipline and appeals, and best practices across counties.

On testing, Patrusi noted the entry-level civil service test in use locally is decades old: "the test that John Alderton actually took back in 1983... it hasn't changed," he said, arguing the outdated test and limited study materials hinder hiring. Patrusi also raised a statutory anomaly: if an agency asks to remove someone from an eligibility list, state code currently requires a public hearing for that applicant even though they were not an employee, a process he said creates hiring delays.

Commissioners supported the idea of a summit and recommended inviting legislators because changes require state-level action. Patrusi said legal representatives from the three counties will be asked to participate; outreach to a potential keynote from the state division overseeing personnel was also discussed. No formal vote was required at the meeting; Patrusi said he will follow up with scheduling and outreach.

Next steps: Patrusi will continue coordinating with other counties, solicit community partners for event sponsorships and attempt to confirm invited legislators and personnel officials.