Civil service panel: It's one test
The commission said it scores examinations in accordance with Ohio law.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Although written civil service examinations for township police and firefighters might contain more than one section, it still amounts to just one test and one score for each of the safety forces' exams.
That's what civil service commission members said in response to a letter from Michael Villano, former township administrator, received earlier this month questioning the scoring of the exams.
Villano, who resigned after a little more than three weeks on the job, wrote the letter after he said Robyn Gallitto, trustees chairwoman, told him she believed the scoring was being done incorrectly and asked him to look into it.
Gallitto's husband, a police sergeant, had sued the township and civil service commission, contending that a promotional exam wasn't properly scored. The suit was dismissed.
Villano had asked the commission to confirm in writing for trustees that the commission is scoring exams in accordance with its regulations and with Ohio law.
The letter pointed to a section of the township's civil service rules and regulations that says if an exam consists of more than one part, each part shall be rated separately and the final grade will be the average score for the parts.
Response
At a meeting Tuesday, Martha Bushey, commission chairwoman, said that the commission reviewed its procedures and inquired of the company that scores its exams, which assured the commission that the test constitutes one exam and the score doesn't involve separate components.
"It's one exam, one grade and that's in compliance with our regulations," Bushey said.
The commission also will send a written response to Gallitto, who is acting township administrator.
Those taking exams also undergo a strength and agility test, but that is graded as pass or fail and not included in the written test score, commission members said.
The former administrator also sought clarification in the seniority credits added to passing scores on promotional exams. Rules call for one point added for the first four years of service and six-tenths of a point added for each year for the next 10 years of service on police and fire promotional exams.
But Ohio law, Villano had written, uses percentages based on the total grade attainable for seniority credit on promotional exams, not a point system.
Bushey said that Ohio law also uses one point and 1 percent interchangeably. The tests are based on 100 percent, she said, and using one point versus 1 percent wouldn't affect the outcome of an individual's grade.