Seguin firefighters want civil service on ballot

By Ron Maloney in The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise Seguin’s firefighters will again ask voters to support a vote on bringing the fire department under civil service rules governing hiring, promoting or firing employees.The Seguin Professional Fire Fighters Association announced Thursday its members will be walking door-to-door in local neighborhoods over the next several weekends asking voters to sign a petition that would bring the Fire Fighters’ Civil Service Law to the May 8 municipal election ballot.

If adopted, the civil service law outlined in Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code would provide a formal structure for handling the department’s employees, requiring the city to appoint a three-member civil service commission to oversee personnel actions at the department including hiring, promotion and disciplinary decisions.

Adoption of civil service would not give the SPFFA collective bargaining authority, but it would modify the relationship of the firefighters to the city, which is an “at will” employer.

“At will” means employment can be terminated “at will” by either employer or employee. Civil Service means the three-member panel would have oversight and review over city supervisors in personnel decisions. To become the law in Seguin, voters would have to approve the change.

To get on the ballot, Seguin Professional Fire Fighters Association President Jon Pakula said firefighters would have to get signatures on a petition — he’s looking for 1,000 — and submit it to the city secretary’s office by March 8.

In 2004, voters turned down the idea, which was opposed by city officials, with 1,028 votes for approval and 1,764 against the move.

Proponents of civil service say it increases professionalism and fairness, introduces added stability to a workplace and removes personal bias or politics from the personnel process at minimal cost to a community.

Detractors say it takes power away from city administration, creates a system for managing firefighters different than that for the city’s other employees and can lead to increased costs for the city that will have to be passed on to taxpayers.

Pakula said firefighters who will be seeking signatures are just trying to get the question on the ballot — the signatures do not count as votes themselves.

“All we want is an opportunity to get this on the ballot and let the citizens decide what to do with it,” Pakula said.

Adopting a civil service workplace, he believes, will increase employee longevity as well as attracting more qualified applicants for firefighter jobs.

“Right now, guys come here, work a couple or a few years, then they go to other departments and start their careers,” Pakula said. “Firefighters are looking for career jobs, and you want to work somewhere where you know you can work for 20 years and nothing’s going to change.”

Pakula stressed the idea has nothing to do with the way the city runs its fire department now.

“This is nothing against the city of Seguin. We’ve talked to the city manager and let him know, and we’ve talked to (Seguin Fire Chief) Scotty (MyCue) and let him know we have nothing against the way he does things now and the way it’s going,” Pakula said. “But what happens if Scotty retires or anything else changes over the next 20 years or so? This puts a strict structure in place, and creates fair, equal and standardized employment procedures. Our benefits will stay the same, although there are a few things that change with sick and vacation time.”

City Manager Doug Faseler confirmed Thursday he’d met with representatives of the SPFFA, but said it was too soon to address the civil service issue.

“I’ve just learned of this initiative today,” Faseler said. “These individuals are exercising their right under Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code.”