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1 RESOLUTION NO. __________
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA,
PLACING A QUESTION ON THE BALLOT AMENDING THE CHARTER OF THE
CITY OF GLENDALE TO UPDATE ITS CIVIL SERVICE PROVISIONS
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE,
CALIFORNIA, that it hereby authorizes placing on the ballot for submission to the City electorate the following Charter amendments, the full text of such amendments set forth fully in Attachment 1:
YES
CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. __ Shall Glendale’s City Charter be amended to revise Civil Service rules eliminating Civil Service protections for future department heads, except police and fire chiefs; allowing future employee hiring from among candidates within the three highest whole examination scores; extending probationary periods to a maximum of 18 months, while maintaining 12 months for sworn personnel; and allowing the promotion of uniquely qualified employees with specialized knowledge or experience to a reallocated position when there is no vacancy? NO
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Attorney is hereby directed to prepare an impartial analysis of the measures showing the effect of the measures on existing law and how the measures will operate; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk is hereby directed to take such steps as may be deemed necessary to place the matters on the ballot for the Special Election to be held on November 3, 2026.
Adopted this _______ day of _____________, 2026.
_____________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________
City Clerk
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1 STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
) SS
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES )
I, Suzie Abajian, Ph.D., City Clerk of the City of Glendale, certify that the foregoing Resolution was adopted by the Council of the City of Glendale, California, at a regular meeting held on ________ day of _______________, 2026, and that same was adopted by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
__________________________
City Clerk
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1 ATTACHMENT 1
Article IV, Sec. 4
Sec. 4. Appointment and removal of department heads, subordinate officers, etc., generally.
The city manager shall appoint and remove, subject to the civil service provisions of this Charter, all department heads of the city, except as otherwise provided by this Charter, such appointments and removals to be subject to the approval of the council. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the city manager shall appoint and remove, subject to the civil service provisions of this Charter, the police chief and fire chief, except as otherwise provided by this Charter, such appointments and removals to be subject to the approval of the council. Department heads shall appoint and remove, subject to the civil service provisions of this Charter, all of their subordinate officers, assistants, deputies, clerks, and employees, except as otherwise provided by this Charter, such appointments and removals to be subject to the approval of the city manager.
Article XXIV, Sec. 2
Sec. 2. Duties of civil service commission generally; rules.
The commission shall prescribe, amend and enforce rules for the classified service, subject to the approval of the council, which shall have the force and effect of law; shall keep minutes of its proceedings and records of its examinations; and shall, as a board or through a single commissioner, make investigations concerning the enforcement and effect of this article and of the rules and efficiency of the service. It shall make an annual report to the council.
The rules shall provide:
(1) Classification of Positions. For the classification of all positions in the classified service. (2) Competitive Examinations—Generally. For open, competitive examinations to test the relative fitness of applicants for all such positions, except positions for which competition has been suspended, as provided in this article.
(3) Same—Public Advertisement. For public advertisement of all competitive examinations. (4) Eligible Lists. For the creation of eligible lists upon which shall be entered the names of successful candidates in the order of their standing in examination. Such lists shall remain in force not longer than two years nor less than one year provided that the commission may cancel any list established from an open examination which contains the names of not more than three persons whose names have been submitted for appointment and the persons not appointed. (5) Grounds for Rejection of Candidates or Eligibles. For the rejection of candidates or eligibles who fail to comply with the requirements of the commission in regard to age, residence, sex, physical condition, or who have been guilty of crimes or infamous or disgraceful conduct, or who have attempted any deception or fraud. (6) For the appointment of any person from among those one of the three persons standing within the three highest whole scores on the appropriate eligible list, except when competition has been suspended as provided in this article; provided that the appointing agency may 1 6
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1 appoint a person from an eligible list containing less than three names; and provided further that any person whose name has been certified three times without appointment shall have his name dropped to the end of said list. For the purposes of this section, a "whole score" shall mean a total examination score, after the application of any veterans’ preference, and all persons receiving the same whole score shall be deemed to occupy the same rank upon the eligible list.
(7) Probation Period. For a period of probation not exceeding 1218 months, except for positions for sworn personnel in which case the maximum probationary period shall not exceed 12 months, before appointments or promotions are made complete. (8) Temporary or Seasonal Appointments. For temporary appointments to permanent positions and appointments to temporary or seasonal positions, when there is no appropriate eligible list; provided, that no permanent position shall be filled by temporary appointees for a period longer than six months except when due to a leave of absence or in cases of emergency.
Appointments to temporary or seasonal positions and temporary appointments due to a leave of absence may be for such period of time as may be fixed by the commission. The commission shall determine whether any position is in character temporary, seasonal or permanent. The acceptance or refusal to accept temporary or seasonal employment on the part of a person on an eligible list shall not be a bar to appointment to a permanent position from said eligible list. (9) Transfer; Demotion; Reinstatement. For transfer from one position to a similar position, or to a lower position upon request of the employee affected, and for reinstatement within one year of persons who, without fault or delinquency on their part, are separated from the service or reduced.
(10) Promotion. For promotion based upon competitive examination and records of efficiency, character, conduct and seniority; provided, that promotional examination shall be open only to those persons who are employed in positions designated by the commission as appropriate for promotional purposes, who have served in any such position or positions for an aggregate of at least six months, and who satisfy the preliminary requirements of the commission for the position to be filled. Examinations may be exclusively promotional or may be combined with original examinations. Unless the commission finds that it would not be consistent with the best interests of the city, a vacancy, except one for which competition has been suspended, as provided in this article, shall be filled by promotion. (11) Suspension Without Pay. For suspension without pay for a period not to exceed 90 days. (12) Adoption and Amendment of Rules Generally. For the adoption and amendment of rules only after public notice and hearing.
(13) Appointment of Unskilled Laborers. For the appointment of unskilled laborers after such tests as to fitness as the commission may prescribe.
(14) Further Provisions as to Adoption of Rules. For the adoption of such rules not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter as may be necessary and proper to carry out the provisions of this article.
Article XXIV, Sec. 5
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1 Sec. 5. Suspension of competition.
(1) In case of a vacancy in a position requiring peculiar and exceptional qualifications of a scientific, professional, or expert character, and upon satisfactory evidence that competition is impracticable and that the position can best be filled by the selection of some designated person of recognized attainments, the commission may, after public hearing and by the affirmative vote of all its members, suspend competition, but no such suspension shall be general in its application to such position, and all such cases of suspension shall be reported, together with the reasons therefor, in the annual report of the commission. (2) In case of a vacancy in the position of director of administrative services, city attorney or his assistants or deputies, director of public works, building official, city engineer, maintenance services administrator, head or chief librarian, or in an office created by ordinance, and upon the filing with the commission of a written statement by the appointing agency that it intends to appoint a designated person of recognized attainments to fill such vacancy, competition shall be suspended.
(3) In a case where a vacancy does not exist, the rules shall provide for a process for the chief examiner to authorize the appointment of the current incumbent occupying a position being reallocated to a higher position provided the incumbent has attained specialized knowledge or experience in his or her current position that is uniquely qualifying to the reallocated position.
Such authorization shall be based upon documented evidence of the employee’s demonstrated proficiency, technical competence, and familiarity with the specific functions of the reallocated position. This provision shall not be construed to permit general suspension of competition, but only to recognize exceptional or unique qualifications developed through service in an existing position that will be reallocated to a higher position.
Article XXIV, Sec. 7
Sec. 7. Application of article; exception as to unclassified service.
The provisions of this article shall apply to all positions now existing or hereafter created, except those in the unclassified service.
The unclassified service shall consist of the following offices and employments:
All officers elected by the people.
All members of appointive boards and commissions, and persons serving without compensation.
The chief examiner of the civil service commission.
The city assessor.
The city manager.
The assistant city manager.
The secretary of the city manager.
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1 The city tax collector.
One secretary of any officer elected by the people.
Special officers of the police and fire departments.
All department heads appointed by the city manager, except for the police chief, the fire chief, and any department head appointed prior to November 3, 2026.
Positions in any unskilled labor class created for a special or temporary purpose and which do not exist for a period of longer than thirty days; provided that the commission may, upon application of the appointing agency and after public notice and hearing, by the affirmative vote of four-fifths (4/5) of its members, exempt any position in any unskilled labor class or any part time, seasonal or temporary position for such period of time as it may determine; and provided further, that any such exemption shall not affect the tenure of any person whose appointment has become complete under this article.
Persons employed to render professional, scientific, technical or expert service of an occasional and exceptional character.