Mayor Cara Spencer, backed by Board of Aldermen President Megan Green and Comptroller Donna Baringer, announced a plan Tuesday to rewrite civil service rules to give the city and department directors more power over hiring and the civil service system.
The move, which follows years of complaints from city officials who say they have struggled to fill growing numbers of vacancies in the city workforce, marks one of the most extensive attempts to change personnel rules in decades. The city says it currently takes an average of 54 days to hire an employee, a figure officials hope to reduce to 45 days.
St. Louis’ current civil service system, adopted through a 1941 charter amendment, was largely a rebuke to political patronage. It sought to prevent mayors from hiring whomever they wanted to run city departments, regardless of their qualifications, by requiring that hiring and promotions be based on merit and fitness.
The proposals outlined Tuesday would give the mayor and department directors more discretion in hiring for some of the city’s top posts. St. Louis’ civil service system covers more than 4,000 employees, many of whom have protections against political firings and can keep their jobs regardless of who runs City Hall.
During the press conference, Spencer said the proposed changes would maintain a merit-based system while giving department directors more authority over hiring and managing their departments.
Aldermen Daniela Velazquez and Matt Devoti joined the mayor as she introduced six bills that would collectively modernize aspects of the city’s 1941 civil service system.
The proposed system would replace the Department of Personnel with a Human Resources Department led by a chief human resources officer selected from the top three candidates on a competitive examination. The officer could be removed only for cause after a public hearing.
Spencer said the proposals are largely based on department leaders’ complaints about delays in hiring and concerns raised by aldermen about poor city services that have upset their constituents.
The mayor and other city leaders propose moving detailed hiring, pay and workplace rules out of the city charter and into ordinances and administrative regulations. Merit-based hiring requirements and protections against political coercion and discrimination would remain in the charter.
The legislation also would require the Civil Service Commission to decide disciplinary appeals within 60 days after receiving evidence. If the commission misses that deadline, the employee’s appeal would be granted. Workers also would have a formal grievance process, including optional mediation and a review committee with labor representation.
Another provision would give city employees greater freedom to express political views and participate in political activities as private citizens, subject to safeguards.
Former personnel director Richard Frank voiced skepticism about Spencer’s reform proposals. Frank, who served for more than 20 years, left the job in 2021 but has since sought reinstatement. He said the reason deputy directors were under civil service rules was to protect institutional knowledge between mayoral administrations.
“Otherwise, you could clean house and have directors and deputy directors who have no idea what’s going on,” Frank told St. Louis Magazine. He also shared his concerns about putting personnel rules into ordinances, within reach of the mayor and aldermen.
“Essentially, it is introducing exactly what [the 1941 charter change] was designed to keep out, which is politics.”
The six bills must go through the Board of Aldermen’s legislative process, including committee consideration and a vote by the full board.
Changes to the city charter also require voter approval. The proposed charter amendment, Proposition HR, is intended for the April 6, 2027, ballot. The accompanying ordinances would take effect only if voters approve the amendment.
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.