Opinion ID: 1804708
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: commission's statutory authority

Text: In its third and final assignment of error, the Commission argues the district court erred in finding that the Board did not possess the statutory authority to issue the April 6, 2000, order. Statutory interpretation presents a question of law, in connection with which an appellate court has an obligation to reach an independent conclusion irrespective of the decision made by the court below. In re Interest of S.B., 263 Neb. 175, 639 N.W.2d 78 (2002); In re Guardianship & Conservatorship of Garcia, 262 Neb. 205, 631 N.W.2d 464 (2001). The Commission is a statutorily created tribunal established by the Legislature. As a statutorily created entity, the Commission has only such authority as has been conferred on it by statute. See In re Interest of Jaden H., 263 Neb. 129, 638 N.W.2d 867 (2002). Section 23-2510 authorizes the Commission to hear employee appeals from decisions where the employee is discharged, suspended, or demoted in rank or compensation by his department head by a written order which shall specifically state the reasons therefor. (Emphasis supplied.) See, e.g., Ashby v. Civil Serv. Comm., 241 Neb. 988, 492 N.W.2d 849 (1992) (appeal of order suspending employee). The nurses in the present case were attempting to appeal a decision of the Board, not an order issued by a department head. Neb.Rev.Stat. § 23-2502(3) (Reissue 1997) defines a department head as an officer holding an elected office, an officer holding office by appointment of the Governor, the chief deputy of any office or the deputy if there is not more than one deputy, and such other persons holding positions as are declared to be department heads by the county board. The Commission does not argue in its brief that the Board is a department head pursuant to § 23-2502(3). Instead, the Commission contends that the Commission's authority over department heads impliedly extends to the Board because the statutory scheme regarding County employees is not under the total domination of the County Board. Brief for appellant at 30. In the absence of anything to the contrary, statutory language is to be given its plain and ordinary meaning; an appellate court will not resort to interpretation to ascertain the meaning of statutory words which are plain, direct, and unambiguous. Sydow v. City of Grand Island, 263 Neb. 389, 639 N.W.2d 913 (2002). The Legislature has authorized the Commission to hear only those appeals which meet the requirements of § 23-2510. Because the nurses' appeal was not taken from a decision rendered by a department head as specified by § 23-2510, we determine that the Commission lacked the statutory authority to hear the appeal. In light of this determination, there is no need to consider the district court's other findings regarding the validity of the April 6, 2000, order. See Baker v. Fabian, Thielen & Thielen, 254 Neb. 697, 578 N.W.2d 446 (1998).