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A Brief History
The merit system owes its
start in Alabama to a determined effort to generally improve
administrative efficiency in state government. Enactment of a merit
system law was one of a number of recommendations for organizational
and administrative improvement that Governor Frank Dixon made to the
1939 State Legislature. While it did not overlook the problems of
the spoils system, his message on the subject was essentially an
eloquent argument for the merit system as a factor in governmental
efficiency. Quoting from Governor Dixon's address:
"Under our present
system, the chief duty of the Governor of Alabama is running an
employment agency. Many thousands of applications are on file for
places; each applicant has a right to come and present his claim in
person, and it is humanly impossible for the Governor to act for the
best interest of the State in patronage matters, even assuming that
he spends his entire time attending to that."
In this same message,
delivered on the third day of the 1939 Legislature, the Governor
called attention to the inefficiency resulting from numerous
independent boards, bureaus, and governmental agencies, and
recommended "certain administrative changes." His recommendations
spelled out plans for the consolidation of related functions into
larger departments and placing these departments under single
department directors, rather than commissions and boards. On this
same day, bills were introduced to create six reorganized
departments and to establish the merit system. All were enacted.
The six departments were: Revenue, Highway, Finance, Corrections,
Pardons and Paroles, and Personnel.
The Basic Law
The new merit system law
created a Personnel Department to be administered by a Personnel
Director who answered to an independent board. The Board originally
consisted of three members, appointed by the Governor with the
consent of the Senate for staggered six-year terms. The terms
overlapped so that one expired every two years. In 1983, the
legislature restructured the Board increasing its members to five,
each serving staggered six-year terms. Two members are now
appointed by the Governor, one by the Lieutenant Governor, one by
the Speaker of the House, and one an elected classified state
employee, i.e., an employee subject to all merit system rules and
regulations. The need for Senate confirmation of appointments was
eliminated.
By law the Board is
required to meet once each month. Its principal functions are to:
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... adopt and amend
rules and regulations;
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... adopt and modify
classification and pay plans;
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... hear the appeals
of employees who have been dismissed;
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... represent the
taxpayers' interest in the improvement of
personnel management
in the state;
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... advise and assist
the Personnel Director.
While the law arranges
for independence and continuity of the system from one
administration to the next, the Governor is assured input in matters
of fundamental importance. His approval is required for Board rules
to become effective. The pay plan and changes to it adopted by the
Board must be submitted to the Governor, who may approve, change, or
disapprove them.
Department Organization
The Personnel Department is sub-divided into
several statutory and service divisions represented by the links
below. To learn more about each of these divisions click the
corresponding link.
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