A new method for Greensboro city employees to air their grievances is kicking into gear via a civil service board, which was mandated by state legislators last year for the Gate City as well as Winston-Salem.

If a police or fire department employee has been fired or let go, suspended, reduced in rank, transferred against their will or denied a promotion or pay raise, they can pursue action from the board by requesting a hearing. This board has the power to overturn decisions made by police and fire department heads, and also has the power to initiate an investigation. 

Last year, the state legislature required the two cities to establish their civil service boards after local Forsyth and Guilford representatives pushed for it via House Bill 470. The board was initially supposed to serve all city employees, but at the last minute legislators changed the language to only apply to police and fire employees. It became law in August 2023 via Senate Bill 9, an omnibus bill, and cut out many employees who had been urging the cities and state to create these boards.

Since SB9’s adoption, city attorneys and staff have been developing the official rules for Greensboro’s board.

Who can serve on the board?

Per an Aug. 20 city council decision, the voting procedure for the selection of the five-member board is now in place. The city is currently accepting applications from residents for nominations; applications are due by Aug. 30.

Later this year, police and fire department employees will vote on one member each for their respective departments. Voting opens on Oct. 1 and ends on Oct. 31. The winners will be announced on Nov. 1. Another member will be chosen by the mutual agreement of the police and fire chiefs. The fourth member will be selected by the mayor and city council. The fifth will be selected by the mutual agreement of the four members 30 days after the police and fire members have been selected.

Current city employees can’t serve on the civil service board, but former employees can if they stopped working for the city at least seven years ago. 

City council voted 7-1 to put the voting procedure in place, with Councilmember Sharon Hightower voting against it. Hightower has long been against this new board, and wasn’t happy with its makeup since the city council will only get one appointee. 

“We’ve got nine people up here with nine different opinions of who we want on that board,” Hightower said last spring.

“I just think it’s awful,” she said as she voted against it last week.

During the city council meeting, Attorney Chuck Watts and Mayor Nancy Vaughan urged the council to vote in favor of the rules so as not to spoil their good working relationship with the state legislature.

“The legislature has authority to decide how to deal with it if we weren’t to follow through. You know the phrase, ‘Don’t tug on Superman’s cape.’ I would avoid not going forward with this,” Watts noted. 

“We have been very successful getting requests filled that we have asked the legislature for, and I think we need to move ahead with this,” Vaughan persisted.

In June, Winston-Salem’s city leaders established their own rules for a board in a 6-2 vote. Councilmembers Jeff MacIntosh and Barbara Hanes Burke voted against it.

Winston-Salem and Greensboro are both spending $50,000 on the board this year, and both boards are expected to start up by January 2025.

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