Research

Scope and Content Note

This series was originally created by the State Civil Service Commission's Secretary and after 1941 was maintained by the Municipal Services Division. Each file contains most if not all rules, regulations and classification plans ever adopted by a municipality and related correspondence and memoranda.

Some files contain records dating from 1899, when the first city rules and regulations were approved by the State Commissioner. The rules and regulations cover all aspects of municipal civil service operations, including the municipal commission's organization and operation, examinations, appointments, and policy. Rules and regulations contain information on how a municipal civil service system operated in theory and on how municipal civil service administration changed over time.

A position classification plan for a given municipality lists all job titles in each jurisdictional classification (i.e. exempt, labor, unclassified, and classified service). Before 1940 plans were usually included as part of the rules and regulations. After that date, however, they are usually in separate binders and usually include more detailed information, such as duty statements for all positions and rosters listing employees' names and salaries.

Correspondence and memoranda contained in these files mostly concern the adoption, approval, or modification of rules and plans, or the classification of individual positions or groups of positions.

At the beginning of the series are a few files containing model municipal rules and regulations and State Commission resolutions concerning the five counties (Chautauqua, Rockland, Essex, Sullivan, and Tompkins) whose civil service system was State administered until 1965. At the end of the series are classification plans and classification surveys for certain school districts (see container list). The surveys consist of forms describing the duties of every employee of the district along with related correspondence and memoranda.