Opinion ID: 1386458
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: reassignment of the technicians

Text: On December 23, 1975, the Chief of the Denver Fire Department notified eighty-seven Technicians that they were being reassigned to Firemen First Grade, effective January 1, 1976. This group consisted of: six men on airport detail; three men doing clerical work; twenty-one Assistant Chief's drivers; and fifty-seven fire truck drivers. The duties of some of these men were the same after their reassignment as before, when they were designated as Technicians. The position of Assistant Chief's driver was abolished. Apparently, unlike the Captains, the Technicians were not reassigned on a seniority basis of last-hired, first-reassigned. The position of Technician is not a rank provided in the City Charter as part of the classified service of the Fire Department. See Denver City Charter Chap. C, Sec. 5.45. Technicians are provided for in the City Charter as follows: C5.45-5 The chief of the fire department may from time to time assign firemen 1st grade to perform the duties of technician, each of whom shall perform such duties so long as his services are satisfactory to the chief of the fire department and the latter shall see fit to continue such assignment; each fireman so assigned shall receive an annual salary of $10,800 for and during the time he is so assigned to perform the duties of a technician, in lieu of the annual salary for his rank as hereinbefore set forth. (Emphasis added.) The practice of the Fire Department has been to appoint someone to the position of Technician, based on past service and performance on an intradepartmental examination. There was evidence that the position of Technician had existed for approximately ten years and that the number holding it has increased from approximately thirty in 1970 to approximately 155 in 1976. The City Charter expressly provides that assignment to the position of Technician is for only so long as the Chief of the Fire Department shall see fit to continue such assignment. Thus, it is not a civil service rank and Technicians are not promoted and demoted according to civil service rules. Rather, unlike one who holds a ranked position in the civil service, one who is assigned to the position of Technician has no reasonable expectation of holding the position permanently or of acquiring vested rights therein. Of course, no Technician can be reassigned in bad faith. Although a Technician may be reassigned at the will of the Chief for a good reason, he cannot be reassigned for an improper reason, such as for properly exercising his First Amendment rights. The Civil Service Commission here found that: [T]he actions were taken solely for the purpose of political revenge. The district court found direct and competent evidence supporting this finding. If, in fact, political consideration motivated the reassignments, the actions would be improper. In reviewing this finding of the Civil Service Commission, we recognize that there is a presumption of validity supporting the official acts of public officers. Weissman v. Board of Education of Jefferson County School District, Colo., 547 P.2d 1267; City of Colorado Springs v. District Court, 184 Colo. 177, 519 P.2d 325. The burden is on the party challenging the reassignment to demonstrate bad faith on the part of the City. See Chirichella v. Department of Civil Service, 31 N.J.Super. 404, 107 A.2d 55. And, in reviewing a decision by an administrative agency under C.R.C.P. 106, the reviewing court must ascertain whether the findings of fact are supported by any competent evidence. Bauer v. City of Wheat Ridge, 182 Colo. 324, 513 P.2d 203; Civil Service Commission v. Doyle, 174 Colo. 149, 483 P.2d 380. With these standards, burdens and presumptions in mind, we have examined the record in this case and do not find any substantial, competent evidence, direct or indirect, to support the conclusion that the real reason for the reassignments was political revenge. The evidence suggesting such a motivation was scant and consisted of the personal opinion of three witnesses, based on hearsay, rumor and innuendo. A finding of bad faith cannot rest on speculation, surmise or conjecture. On the other hand, there was overwhelming evidence demonstrating that the reassignments were made to achieve the most efficient and economical operation of the Fire Department within the 1976 budget without reducing the fire-fighting capability. [4] The firemen thus did not sustain their burden of showing bad faith on the part of the City in reassigning the Technicians. Finally, the firemen contend that the City should not be permitted to abolish the position of Assistant Chief's driver (a Technician position) and reassign those persons to the rank of Firemen First Grade. It is well-settled, though, that as part of its power to reorganize the Fire Department the City may abolish a position and reassign the persons holding it if done in good faith. City and County of Denver v. Norris, 131 Colo. 259, 281 P.2d 160; Clark v. Eaman, 299 Mich. 78, 299 N.W. 815; Chirichella v. Department of Civil Service, 31 N.J.Super. 404, 107 A.2d 55. Since the Assistant Chief's driver position is not a classified rank provided for in the City Charter, the Charter need not be amended to eliminate it. Thus, in the absence of bad faith, we uphold the City's elimination of this position. In sum, the City has the specific authority to reassign Technicians at any time so long as it is done in good faith. Since we cannot find competent evidence to support a finding of bad faith, we reverse the district court's order invalidating the City's action.