No person in the classified civil service who shall have been permanently appointed or inducted into civil service under provisions of this chapter shall be removed, suspended, demoted or discharged except for cause, and only upon written accusation of the appointing authority or any citizen or taxpayer; a written statement of which accusation, in general terms, shall be served upon the accused and a duplicate filed with the commission. Any person so removed, suspended, demoted or discharged may, within ten days from the time of his removal, suspension, demotion or discharge, file with the commission a written demand for appeal. The appeal shall be confined to the determination of the question of whether such removal, suspension, demotion or discharge was or was not made for political or religious reasons, and was or was not made in good faith for cause. After hearing and based solely upon the evidence presented, the commission may affirm the removal, or if it shall find that the removal, suspension or demotion was made for political or religious reasons, or was not made in good faith for cause, shall order the immediate reinstatement or reemployment of such person in the office, place, position or employment from which such person was removed, suspended, demoted or discharged; which reinstatement shall, if the commission so provides in its discretion, be retroactive, and entitle such person to pay or compensation from the time of such removal, suspension, demotion or discharge. The commission, in lieu of affirming the removal, suspension, demotion or discharge, may direct a suspension, without pay, for a given period, and subsequent restoration to duty, or demotion in classification grade, or pay; the findings of the commission shall be certified in writing to the appointing power and shall be forthwith enforced by such officer.

The commission pursuant to the provisions of this section shall conduct its hearing after reasonable notice to the accused of the time and place of such hearing, at which hearing the accused shall be afforded an opportunity of appearing in person and by counsel and presenting his/her defense. If such judgment or order be concurred in by the commission or a majority thereof, the accused may appeal therefrom to the court of original and unlimited jurisdiction in civil suits of the county wherein he resides. Such appeal shall be taken by serving the commission, within thirty days after the entry of such judgment or order, a written notice of appeal, stating the grounds thereof and demanding that a certified transcript of the record and all papers on file in the office of the commission affecting or relating to such judgment or order be filed by the commission with such court. The commission shall, within ten days after the filing of such notice, make, certify and file such transcript with such court. The court of original and unlimited jurisdiction in civil suits shall thereupon proceed to hear and determine such appeal in a summary manner; provided, however, that such hearing shall be confined to the determination of whether the judgment or order of removal, discharge, demotion or suspension made by the commission was or was not made in good faith for cause, and no appeal to such court shall be taken except upon such ground or grounds. (Ord. 017/2019 § 7)