44:7-9. County welfare board; election of officers; director not to be member; officers and employees; civil service classification; permanent status

The county welfare board shall annually elect from among its members a chairman, vice-chairman and secretary-treasurer. The director of welfare, appointed as hereinafter provided, shall not be a member of the board. The county welfare board shall appoint such other officers, assistants and employees as may be necessary and proper to carry out the provisions of this chapter, subject to compliance with the personnel standards and regulations established and maintained by the Civil Service Commission or the State division or both as otherwise provided. It may also determine the compensation of the director and other employees within the limits of the sums made available for that purpose by the board of chosen freeholders and the State, as hereinafter provided. The director of welfare, officers, assistants and other employees shall be subject to such rules and regulations in the discharge of their duties as may be made by such county welfare board and the State division. All regular employees are hereby empowered to take and certify any and all affidavits and acknowledgments as are required on papers or documents executed in connection with the administration of this chapter or other public welfare functions and for this purpose shall be vested with all powers and authority now exercised by other persons authorized to take affidavits and acknowledgments. All employees of the county welfare board shall hold their office or employment during good behavior, and may be removed upon written charges and after a hearing, due notice of which shall be given therefor by the county welfare board, for misconduct, neglect, incompetency, or other just cause.

All paid officers and employees of any county welfare board, except any attorney serving as legal counsel, which county welfare board operates under the provisions of Title 11, Civil Service, shall be and the same hereby are classified in the competitive class of the classified service, and all such officers and employees of any county welfare board which does not operate under the provisions of Title 11, Civil Service, shall be similarly classified under the personnel standards to be established and maintained by the State division. All such paid officers and employees, presently employed by any county welfare board, who have been so employed for a continuous period of at least one year prior to adoption of this act and, who have not previously entered the service of the county or of the county welfare board through competitive or qualifying examination, and who are not otherwise granted permanent status by the provisions of this section, shall be permitted to obtain permanent status in their present positions through qualifying examination. All such paid officers and employees who are not permanent employees in the competitive class or who have previously entered the service of the county or of the county welfare board through competitive or qualifying examination, shall be and the same hereby are granted permanent status in their present positions without further examination. All such paid officers and employees, presently employed by any county welfare board, who have heretofore been appointed or reappointed and qualified under section 44:7-6 of the Revised Statutes as adopted March sixteenth, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-six, and who have held their respective offices and positions for a period equal to the minimum required probationary period for such offices or positions, shall be and the same hereby are granted permanent status in their present positions without further examination.

Amended by L.1938, c. 361, p. 905, s. 5, eff. July 1, 1938; L.1940, c. 186, p. 555, s. 2; L.1942, c. 173, p. 535, s. 2, eff. May 9, 1942.