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A 11375

Removes the authority of the state civil service commission to administer the county service in Westchester

2025 Regular Session

Westchester County shifts key control of job classifications and pay schedules from the state Civil Service Commission to the county personnel officer, enabling local governance of

REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES
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Bill Summary · A 11375

Overview

  • Bill: A 11375
  • Session: 2025-2026
  • Jurisdiction: New York
  • Purpose: Amend Westchester County’s 1937 statutory framework to remove the authority of the New York State Civil Service Commission (SCSC) to administer certain aspects of the county service, transferring those powers to the county’s personnel officer and local processes.

Main purpose and intent

  • The bill rewrites specific provisions of the Westchester County “additional alternative form of government” statute (chapter 617 of the laws of 1937).
  • It aims to grant the county personnel officer broad authority over county service classifications, pay schedules, and personnel procedures, effectively reducing or altering ongoing SCSC oversight for those areas.
  • It seeks to defer to local execution and approval for personnel systems within the county, subject to certain conditions and transfers of duties described in the text.

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 92 (Civil service law to apply; powers and duties of the personnel officer)

    • Replaces the line that currently recognizes the state civil service commission’s ongoing powers with respect to:
    • Assignment of positions (classified, exempt, labor, non-competitive, and competitive classes) and other classes established by the commission.
    • Determination of merit and fitness of applicants.
    • Certification of lists of eligibles for appointment to county positions.
    • The bill states the personnel officer shall have those powers and duties, with the implication that SCSC may no longer retain those specific authorities for Westchester’s county service (except for what is explicitly retained elsewhere in the statute).
    • The SCSC would no longer certify lists of eligibles for county appointments unless otherwise instructed in writing by the personnel officer with county executive approval.

  • Section 94 (Classification, rates of pay, personnel procedures)

    • Directs the personnel officer to prepare an act for submission to the county executive to:
    • Classify positions in the county service by duties and responsibilities.
    • Establish pay schedules to ensure equal pay for equal work and responsibility.
    • Create an orderly procedure for administering all personnel matters not reserved to the SCSC by this article.
    • Before such procedures become effective, the bill requires:
    • Appointments, separations, promotions, demotions, transfers, or reinstatements procedures are to be approved by the SCSC (this requirement is retained as per the text), meaning some SCSC involvement remains for those specific actions or until amended.
    • The county board must adopt the new act within three months of its introduction, in original or modified form.
    • Classifications, pay structures, and procedures in force when the act becomes effective continue until modified by the new act.

  • Immediate effect

    • The act is self-executing upon enactment (“takes effect immediately”).

Who and what is affected

  • Affected entity: Westchester County government, specifically its county service and personnel administration.
  • Affected roles:
    • County personnel officer: Gains expanded authority over classification, pay, and personnel procedures.
    • County executive and county board: Encounters new processes and timelines for adopting and implementing a county-specific personnel act.
    • State Civil Service Commission: Potential reduction in direct control over Westchester county service classifications, merit determination, and eligibility certification, subject to the exact implementation and any retained provisions.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • After enactment, the county personnel officer must prepare a proposed act for classification, pay, and personnel procedures and submit to the county executive for approval to the county board.
  • The county board has three months to adopt the act (original or modified form).
  • The act allows for future amendments as needed.
  • Some procedural oversight by the SCSC is retained for certain actions (appointments, separations, promotions, demotions, transfers, reinstatements) as indicated in the text, though the overarching authority over classifications and pay is shifting toward the county unless otherwise specified.

Summary

Bill A 11375 seeks to reconfigure Westchester County’s civil service governance by transferring or reassigning key authorities from the state Civil Service Commission to the county’s own personnel officer, particularly regarding classification systems and pay structures. It requires the county to draft, approve, and implement a local act governing these areas, with a three-month deadline for adoption. The bill preserves some SCSC involvement for certain personnel actions but reduces the SCSC’s overall administrative reach within the county service. Immediate effect is intended upon enactment.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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