Bridgeport charter commission narrows civil service redlines, approves reemployment-list change

The Bridgeport Charter Commission met in the evening to continue its review of proposed redline changes to Chapter 17 of the city charter, focusing discussion on which positions should be treated as unclassified mayoral appointees, how the city's reemployment list should work, and how appointments and notice provisions will be handled.

The meeting opened with staff entering three exhibits: the civil service chapter redline (Exhibit 1), a recommendation from Councilwoman Michelle Lions (Exhibit 2), and Draft 8 (Exhibit 3). A staff presenter walked commissioners through edits that convert gendered pronouns to neutral language, correct typographical errors, and consolidate cross-references. The presenter noted a formatting issue in the posted redline and reviewed specific proposed text changes for page 3 (clerks) and the finance section on the city treasurer.

Much of the meeting centered on the distinction between classified and unclassified service. Staff described a proposed list of unclassified, mayoral-appointee positions (including superintendent-level and certain chief or director roles) and explained that positions requiring state certification would remain subject to statutory qualification. Commissioners expressed concern that, as the charter is currently written, some modern mayoral appointments could inadvertently inherit classified protections; they asked staff to ensure the redline prevents mayoral hires from displacing tested civil servants absent a clear charter provision.

Councilman Burns and others pushed for a process by which certain public-facing executive appointments (for example, health director or public facilities director) would be nominated by the mayor and subject to council review, similar to state and federal confirmation processes. Staff said they would draft options for designating which positions should be subject to council ratification while keeping that office within the unclassified service (removable at the mayor's discretion).

On employee protections, commissioners debated whether employees laid off for lack of work should be required to exercise bumping/seniority rights or instead be permitted, upon request, to be placed on a reemployment list for the classification from which they were laid off. After discussion the commission moved and approved an amendment to Section 210 providing that an employee shall, upon request, retain seniority rights in current and previously held classifications as defined by rule and shall be placed on the reemployment list for two years, eligible to fill vacancies in that class during the two-year period.

The commission also adopted a series of wording adjustments in other sections. Members voted to change phrasing such as "serves at the pleasure of" to clearer terminology in several places, and they removed the word "discretion" in one reemployment provision in favor of requiring the commission's approval (interpreted by the commission as a majority vote). Commissioners asked staff to harmonize timelines that deem an appointment approved if the council does not act (discussed as a 60-day provision in the proposed redline) and suggested extending any automatic-approval window to 90 days to avoid unintended approvals resulting from administrative scheduling.

A significant, unresolved item concerned military reemployment protections. Commissioners raised concerns about language requiring that a returning service member have performed duties "in a satisfactory manner" before leaving for military service; several members argued that phrase could unfairly deny reemployment to reservists called to active duty and recommended staff and the city's legal advisors review federal USERRA requirements and propose language such as "reasonably satisfactory" or table the item for legal review.

The commission also discussed procedural matters for the employee-member election (notice by pay advice, mass email and paper pay stubs), the posting and accessibility of civil service rules on city web pages, and the removal of pejorative terminology (a commissioner asked to delete the phrase "unskilled manual labor").

The meeting produced several formal actions: the commission voted to amend Section 210 (reemployment list) to allow employee-requested placement on a two-year reemployment list; it approved a package of edits to Section 203 concerning membership, terms, vacancies and party-balance limits; and it approved language edits that substituted "approval" or majority action by the commission in place of broader words like "discretion" in specific places. The commission adjourned and scheduled its next meeting for June 10 at 6 p.m.

What happens next: staff said they would clean up cross-references across the charter, circulate revised text addressing the mayoral-appointment/ratification options, research federal/state constraints (particularly USERRA and statutory appointment provisions) and return suggested language at the next meeting. The commission deferred final resolution of the military-reemployment wording pending legal review.