Drafter
Clerk 12/19/2012
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AN ORDINANCE relating to enhance the county's competitive position in hiring the most qualified employees by providing employment candidates interview travel expenses and moving expenses; making technical corrections; and amending Ordinance 12077, Section 7, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.24.020 and Ordinance 12014, Section 56, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.24.170.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. Recruiting skilled, experienced and productive employees is of tremendous importance to the county. Providing employment candidates with interview travel and with moving expense reimbursement may be necessary to induce an individual to even consider applying for a county position. There have been instances where it was difficult to fill positions requiring specialized knowledge, skills and abilities because the county could not offer travel or moving expense reimbursement.
B. While the King County Code does provide for moving expense reimbursement for certain positions, amending the code to expand the categories of positions eligible for reimbursement to include hard-to-fill positions requiring specialized knowledge, skills and abilities will further the county's goal in finding the most qualified job applicants.
C. While the King County Code does provide travel expenses for interview trips, it is limited to positions requiring specialized skill not available in the county job market. Although a candidate in the county job market may have the minimal level of specialized skills, the candidate may not be the most competitive. Amending the code to include positions requiring specialized knowledge, skills and abilities for travel reimbursement will further the county's goal in finding the most qualified job applicants.
D. The ordinance also provides for technical corrections and housekeeping changes.
SECTION 2. Ordinance 12077, Section 7, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.24.020 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
This chapter applies to all departments, agencies and offices of the executive branch, including but not limited to the departments of judicial administration, public safety, and assessments; the council and subordinate units of the legislative branch; the office of the prosecuting attorney; the superior and district courts; and the office of economic and financial analysis. For purposes of this chapter, the presiding elected official of the office of economic and financial analysis is the chair of the forecast council. Within budgetary constraints, the following persons are authorized to receive expense reimbursement in conformance with this chapter and are likewise responsible for compliance with the terms of this chapter and any implementing policies and procedures:
A. County employees;
B. Candidates for positions that are exempt from the career service or, for employees hired on January 1, 2012, or thereafter, candidates for positions that require ((a specialized skill not available in the county job market may be)) specialized knowledge, skills and abilities, as determined by the hiring authority, if authorized by the presiding elected official, ((subject to)) and only for the following ((restrictions)):
1. ((For t))Travel to the county from their place of residence outside the county to be interviewed((.));
2. A ((M))maximum of five interview trips for a given position during any twelve month period((.));
3. No ((candidate for employment is eligible for)) more than two separate interview trips for a candidate for employment in a given position((.)); and
4. Travel for which ((A))approval by the presiding elected official or designee is ((required)) obtained before an invitation to interview is issued((.)); and
C. Persons otherwise authorized by law, grant or contract, ((provided that)) but only if the terms of such other expense reimbursement authorization shall apply.
SECTION 3. Ordinance 12014, Section 56, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.24.170 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
A. Within the executive branch, including the department of judicial administration, the manager of the human resources management division may authorize in writing at the written request of the appointing authority reimbursement for reasonable and necessary moving expenses to the following categories of county employees:
1. Persons whose appointments require council confirmation and who have been so confirmed((.));
2. Persons appointed by the county administrative officer to exempt positions((.));
3. Persons appointed by the directors of executive departments to exempt positions; and
4. For employees hired on January 1, 2012, or thereafter, persons with specialized knowledge, skills and abilities as determined by the hiring authority.
B. Within the legislative branch, the department of assessments, the department of public safety, the office of the prosecuting attorney, ((and)) district court and superior court((s)), the presiding elected official may authorize, in writing, the reasonable and necessary moving expenses of employees appointed within their agencies.
C. The forecast council may authorize, in writing, reimbursement for the reasonable and necessary moving expenses of the chief economist.
D. Reimbursement shall be authorized provided that prior to the appointment the appointing authority agreed to the reimbursement of moving expenses as necessary to obtain the services of a particular individual.
E. Confidential secretaries, and other exempt clerical positions, shall be excluded from ((the provisions of)) this section.
F. Total reimbursement shall not exceed ((six)) fifteen thousand dollars and reimbursement for specific expenses shall be subject to the limitations provided for throughout this chapter. Reimbursement will be authorized within the budgetary constraints of the employing department, agency or office. For expenditures considered taxable by the Internal Revenue Service, the county will report the expenditure and withhold taxes for the employee.
G. Authorized moving expenses shall be reimbursable from departure until such time as possessions arrive in the county, unless ((such)) the expenses have been otherwise reimbursed. Costs incurred in travel other than those related to direct travel to the place of new residence will be considered nonreimbursable.
H. If the new employee terminates his or her county employment, either voluntarily or involuntarily, within two years of the hire date of employment, the county is entitled to reimbursement from the employee for the moving costs reimbursed.
SECTION 4. Severability. If any provision of this ordinance or its application to
any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the ordinance or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.