McCrory taps more at-will workers
Gov. Pat McCrory has selected hundreds of additional state employees who will soon lose their civil service protections, bringing his roster of at-will workers to about 1,300.
Posted — UpdatedCritics say exempt designations make state employees more vulnerable to shifting political influence, undermining what would ideally be an experienced, long-serving civil service corps. Employees in exempt policy-making positions, one of two different types of exempt designations, are even expected by law to be reasonably loyal to the governor.
But McCrory and proponents of the legislative changes, which passed the General Assembly in two separate pieces, say the changes are needed to increase flexibility in state government.
A McCrory spokesperson could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon, but the governor's press office said in a news release that these positions "serve at the will of the governor or his designee because their duties directly affect the execution of the governor’s policies."
This new batch of designations is largely consolidated in the two largest cabinet departments, DHHS and the Department of Public Safety, despite adding another three agencies to the list eligible for exemptions.
Compared with the number of positions former Gov. Beverly Perdue designated in the fall of 2012, McCrory more than doubled the number of exemptions in DPS during this round. That's despite keeping the number almost constant in July.
The governor's office has not yet released the full list of exempt positions.
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