When Northampton County's Home Rule Charter was adopted in 1977, it expressly created a merit personnel system for all non-union workers. The idea was to incentivize employees with promotions and transfers based on merit instead of being pals with one or more department heads. Now there have been times when this system has been abused or just ignored. This is one reason why three-fourths of the workforce is union. But the ideal is to reward merit. There is one important county employer, however, that never follows the Home Rule Charter. That was the courts. But that has changed under Court Administrator Jermaine Greene
Under the Home Rule Charter, vacant positions must be advertised in places where employees can see that there are openings. The goal is to hire from within when possible. But the courts ignored this requirement. Instead of what you know, it's who you know. Instead of meritocracy, it was pure cronyism.
The courts, as an independent branch of government, have the right to hire whomever they want. But if they are interested in filling slots with knowledgeable people, they really should voluntarily follow the Home Rule Charter.
Court Administrator Jermaine Greene told County Council several weeks ago that judges rely on "word of mouth" to fill open spots. But that's only part of the story. He told me that the courts have recognized a need to "pivot" away from its formerly misguided way of hiring. They now advertise vacancies outside the office, maintain a list inside the office and advertise vacancies on the court's website. In areas where there's a critical need, like juvenile justice and court interpreters, they are using the Indeed job search engine.
While I think they should list the specific vacancies on their website, the changes made by Greene are a stark contrast change away from the previous way that courts attracted people.
Updated 7:55 am. A previous version of this story waqs posted without knowledge of the changesmade under Jermaine Greene.
The courts know what they are doing. They have an emergency on their hands. Your boy McClure once again tried to tie the hands of Mr. Greene. Something is going on here on a more personal level.
ReplyDeleteDo you realize how many employees these judges are hiring without any proof that they are qualified for the position they seek? They want to hire their own people and then they want to set their own salaries for these people. Didn't one judge hire his mother? NEPOTISM is ramped in the court system. The Magistrates hire their own employees (many times relatives), probation officers are hired by the Judges, Court stenographers, court criers (tipstaff). Then you have the DA who wants to hire his own people. The Controller wants to hire his own people. What you accomplish is a courthouse of idiots running the government.
ReplyDeleteIs this website directly connected to the COUNTY website?
ReplyDeleteYou know as well as I do this is a Union shop over there and at Juvy, the Union is responsible for securing wages during collective bargaining with the County, not Jermaine Greene or the senior judge whomever that is
Jermaine made this problem by not increasing the salaries since he has been in office now he cries and tries to tell everyone its the evil administration that has his hands tied. Years and years of contracts at 2% raises gets you right where you wanted to be Jermaine.
Look in the mirror and see the main problem standing right in front of you
Posting a position and even giving first priority interviews to in house staff does not preclude managers from hiring whomever they want from anywhere. Gracedale does it all the time. You can almost always find a reason to hire who you want so posting might follow the rules if you will but doesn't change the outcome.
ReplyDelete