Tacoma civil service board proposes personnel rules to curb broad use of 'unclassified' jobs

Chair Hansen, representing the Civil Service Board, presented proposed personnel-rule changes intended to tighten oversight of which city jobs are placed in the "unclassified" category and to ensure those allocations comply with the City Charter and Tacoma Municipal Code.

Hansen told the Government Performance & Compensation Committee that the board’s investigation found a large share of city positions listed as unclassified and that the board is proposing clearer definitions and a review pathway so allocations must conform with charter criteria. "If you can eliminate civil service by labeling everyone an assistant or principal officer, then there's really no civil service," Hansen said, arguing that clearer criteria would protect employees’ due-process rights.

Deputy City Attorney Martha Lance explained the legal roles: the City Attorney’s Office advises city entities and some analyses provided to HR may be subject to attorney-client privilege, which limited what the civil service board and committee had been shown. Lance said privileged advice to the council could be waived collectively but emphasized that the civil service board’s investigation and conclusions are separate from legal advice from the City Attorney’s Office.

Committee members focused their questions on two practical concerns: the evidence behind the board's estimate that roughly one-third of the workforce is unclassified, and what specific authority the board would have under the proposed rules. Members requested HR run up-to-date reports showing counts and trends by department, and several suggested an executive session to review privileged materials with counsel if necessary.

Hansen and board members said the proposal would not change the charter itself but would add definitions in the Tacoma Municipal Code and create an oversight mechanism so the board could review whether HR or other entities had applied the charter correctly. The presenters described the change as regulatory: filling gaps in how the charter's categories are applied day-to-day rather than amending charter language.

Hansen said the civil service board plans to file the proposed personnel rules with the city clerk; that filing will trigger a 45-day period for council consideration under the charter. No formal council vote took place at the committee meeting. Members indicated they expect additional briefings, data from HR, and possibly study sessions before council action.

What’s next: the board will file the rules with the city clerk (the filing starts the 45-day review clock). Committee members asked staff to provide current HR breakdowns of classified vs. unclassified positions and to work with counsel on whether privileged materials can or should be reviewed in executive session.