(1) There is hereby created a Civil Service Commission composed of not less than three (3) members nor more than five (5) members, as determined by the City Council by ordinance, who shall serve three (3) year overlapping terms, and who will be charged with the responsibility of administering the separate Civil Service System hereby created and covering the members of the Civil Service. The Commissioners shall be residents of and registered electors in the City of Aurora prior to their appointment. Should a Commissioner cease to be a resident or elector of the City of Aurora, the Commissioner shall cease to hold office and a successor shall be appointed as hereafter provided.

(2) All appointments shall be for a three (3) year period. No person may serve more than three (3) consecutive terms. Commissioners shall be selected and appointed by a majority vote of the City Council. All members of the Civil Service Commission shall serve at the pleasure of Council and may be removed at any time, with or without cause, upon an affirmative vote of eight (8) members of City Council.

No member of the Civil Service Commission may hold any other position in the City of Aurora for which he receives either per diem or salary compensation and this provision may not be circumvented by a waiver of any such compensation, nor may he be an appointive member of any other board or Commission serving the City of Aurora. Each member of the Civil Service Commission shall receive such compensation as shall be established by resolution of the City Council.

(3) Duties, powers. The Civil Service Commission shall be responsible for examination and certification of all applicants to positions in the Civil Service. They shall determine qualifications for, and examine for promotion within the Civil Service. Promotions in the Civil Service shall be from within the respective Departments and those eligible for taking a promotional examination must be members of the Civil Service of the rank or grade immediately below the rank or grade for which they are being examined, except that (1) Police Officers 1st Grade, with the proper length of service in grade, shall be eligible to take the examination for Sergeant; (2) Firefighters 1st Grade, with the proper length of service in grade, shall be eligible to take the examination for Technician, Engineer or Lieutenant; (3) members of the Departments, with the proper length of service, shall be eligible to take the examination for a rank of equal status but different title. No member may take an examination for a position he officially holds. If it is determined by the Civil Service Commission that there are no qualified members within the Civil Service to take such promotional examinations the Civil Service Commission may undertake either open recruitment or designate additional ranks or grades which may be eligible for that particular examination only. All examinations for promotion shall be competitive among such members of each Department as are qualified and desire to submit themselves to examination. The Commission shall submit to the appointing authority the list with the names of all members who have satisfactorily passed the entire examination, in the order in which their grades placed them, and the appointing authority, after having received a list duly certified, shall make promotions therefrom in the order in which they appear subject to other provisions of this Charter. The method of examining, the rules governing the same, and the method of certifying may be the same, as near as possible, as provided for applicants for original appointments.

The Council shall furnish the Commission with suitable offices, office furniture, examination rooms, books, stationery, and all other necessary supplies and provide for the payment of the same as may be necessary in carrying out the provisions of this Article. The Commission shall be provided with sufficient funds to hire a Commission Administrator who will also be the Chief Examiner for the Commission and shall serve at the Commission's pleasure and perform such duties as the Commission shall, from time to time assign. Such other employees as shall be approved by Council, and shall be needed by the Commission from time to time, may be provided, and any such employees shall serve at the pleasure of the Commission. The Commission shall have the power to make and enforce rules for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this Charter, which rules shall be printed for distribution. Copies shall be made available to the Chiefs of the Police and Fire Departments and the presidents of any employee organizations recognized pursuant to Article XIV and XV of the Charter. A copy shall be provided to a member upon request. The Commission shall have the power to investigate all breaches of this Article and to conduct hearings in disciplinary matters as herein provided and while conducting such an investigation or hearing the Commission shall have the authority to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books and papers. The Commission, with approval of the City Manager, may make use of existing City facilities and, as circumstances dictate, temporarily use other City employees to aid and assist the Commission in performing its duties. (Ord. No. 67-35, 7-25-1967; Ord. No. CA75-3, 11-4-1975; Ord. No. CA77-1, 11-8-1977; Ord. No. 87-199, § 2, 11-3-1987; Ord. No. 91-47, § 1, 11-13-1991; Ord. No. 2006-46, § 1, 8-7-2006; Ord. No. 2023-21, § 2, 6-28-2023)