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Campbell mayor fires Civil Service Commission chairman following improper test
By SARAH LEHR
CAMPBELL
Mayor William Vansuch dismissed Tony Matash from his position as chairman of Campbell’s Civil Service Commission after allegations of an improperly administered exam for the position of water department operator.
City Council President George Levendis demanded Matash’s resignation at a Civil Service Commission meeting Sept. 3. Mayor Vansuch let Matash go Wednesday. At a council meeting, Levendis thanked the mayor for the decision, stating, “The mayor acted, and we don’t tolerate that kind of thing in Campbell.”
Matash could not be reached to comment.
Matash stated earlier this month that he had authorized an informal multiple-choice test for the position of water department operator. Civil Service Commissioner Steve Cappittee witnessed the exam.
The test, which was not an official civil-service exam, consisted of 20 multiple- choice questions relating to the position, Matash said. The only person to take the test was a former substitute worker in the water department and the son of a Campbell Street Department employee, officials said.
Civil-service exams purport to ensure that government jobs are awarded to the most-qualified applicant, free from nepotism or favoritism. Such exams must be advertised in advance, so that a wide range of people have the opportunity to apply.
The Campbell Police Department is close to completing a criminal investigation of the matter, Chief Drew Rauzan said.
“If the investigation reveals that the law was in fact broken and the elements of the offenses are met, warrants will be issued for the law-breakers,” Rauzan said in a written statement.
Matash received a salary of $500 per year for the commissioner position, Vansuch said. Matash now will receive a prorated rate of pay based on the months he served as commissioner before his termination.
The authority to appoint a replacement commissioner lies with the mayor. The position of water department operator pays about $14 an hour, according to Vansuch.
The city plans to re-open the application process for the water-department operator position with an openly advertised and properly administered civil-service exam. The date for the exam has not yet been set.