DA to investigate Long Beach Civil Service Commission

The Nassau district attorney's office Wednesday said it will investigate the Long Beach Civil Service Commission, an independent body responsible for keeping favoritism out of employment decisions for more than 1,000 public jobs.

The news comes just days after the state Civil Service Commission published reports saying the city's civil service system has been dogged by "serious deficiencies" for years and the local commission's performance has worsened in two of its most basic functions, payroll certification and appointments.

"We will be investigating the Long Beach commission from the top down to determine whether the issues outlined in the state's report are criminal or the result of mismanagement," District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a statement.

For decades, the city's civil service system has been rated among the most poorly managed in the state, and it has made the least progress in achieving needed reforms of any commission since 2004, a state agency spokesman said.

The city's commission is a three-member body tasked with managing the merit system for the city's 477 employees, the Board of Education's 576, the Housing Authority's 33 and an unknown number of library employees.

The outstanding reforms mandated in a 2004 state audit include certifying the payroll - to vouch that all workers were hired and paid properly - and updating employment histories to ensure that workers are serving in their titles correctly.

It's also the only such probe of a local commission that the state Civil Service Commission is aware of, according to Richard Ciprioni, a state official with 30 years' experience.

William Miller, chairman of the local commission since last May, and Commissioner Leary Wade did not return requests for comment. Commissioner Susan Mackston-Solomon could not be reached.

The embattled city commission has also been under investigation by the state Civil Service Commission since February 2009 for complaints that some employees were improperly transferred and others were not being paid the correct salary.

"We welcome the Nassau district attorney's inquiry and will cooperate in any way we can," state commission president Nancy G. Groenwegen said in a statement. "The transparency of civil service operations is critical to public trust."

City Manager Charles Theofan said the commission has accomplished significant reforms to a system he said had been rife with corruption under previous administrations.

Theofan, who was named city manager in 2004, said the city at that time "began a vigorous campaign of reforming civil service."

Citing some reforms, Theofan said the city for the first time in at least 30 years certified a payroll in February 2009, one of the two key functions the latest state report examined. But the state agency said the certification, required at least once a year, did not comply with rules.

With William Murphy
 

History of poor ratings

For decades, the Long Beach merit system has been rated by the state Civil Service Commission as one of the state's most poorly managed.

1981

Long Beach civil service gets "poor" rating, the second lowest of state's six ratings (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor or unsatisfactory).

1991

Long Beach "unsatisfactory"

2001

Long Beach "poor"

2004

State audit finds no proof civil service jobs were offered to those with highest exam scores or that workers were hired or promoted properly.

2005

State finds job offer went to applicant with 80 typist score; no evidence of offers to eight with higher scores.

March 2010

State finds "serious deficiencies" in payroll certification and appointment practices.

- William Murphy and Laura Rivera