Philadelphia’s decades-old civil service rule under scrutiny
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City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown has launched the first step toward changing a civil service rule she says has stifled diversity among Philadelphia workers. (Tom MacDonald/WHYY)
A Philadelphia City Councilwoman has introduced a resolution that could result in a change to the city’s hiring practices.
Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown says the 64-year-old “rule of two” — which mandates only the top two scorers in the civil service test be considered for jobs — stifles diversity.
“Right now, the way it works is, no matter how many persons take the test, if you have 10 who score within the 90-to-99 group number, only the top two get considered,” she said.
Given Philadelphia’s diverse population, said Reynolds Brown, that’s important.
“The city is 82 percent women, minority, black, brown and other — and government simply does not look that way,” she said.
She said her resolution will trigger a hearing. The city charter would need a change to modify civil service rules.
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