General Information | Greene Government General Information | Greene Government

General Information

  1. APPLICATIONS: Mail to:  Greene County Civil Service Commission, 411 Main St., Catskill, NY 12414.  Applications are accepted up to the last filing date indicated on announcement.  This department does not make formal acknowledgment of the receipt of an application, or take responsibility for non-delivery of mail or postal delays.  The Commissioners reserve the right to reject or accept applications after the advertised filing period. Read and compare your qualifications carefully with the minimum qualifications as outlined.  Only apply for those exams for which you are qualified.  Resumes are not accepted as a substitution in indicating work experience on your application, but are accepted as an addition to your application. All experience is considered as paid work experience, unless specified under the minimum qualifications; volunteer experience, unpaid internship experience (if internship is paid, verification must be provided) and education will not be accepted and/or substituted for experience in meeting the qualifications unless it is specified. FAX & COPIES ARE NOT ACCEPTED—THE ORIGINAL SIGNATURE MUST APPEAR IN INK.
  2. NON-REFUNDABLE FILING FEE & FEE WAIVER: A $15 fee is required for EACH exam being filed for with the exception of the POLICE OFFICERS, DEPUTY SHERIFFS AND CORRECTIONS OFFICERS exams which require a $25 filing fee.  The fee must accompany your application.  Do not send cash!  A check or money order payable to Greene County Civil Service Commission is required OR if filing in person, credit card payments are now accepted.  Please be advised the service charge is 2.49% or a flat fee of $1.50, whichever is greater.  This will appear as a separate charge on your statement.  Include the exam title and exam number on your check or money order.  Fees may be waived per C.S. Law §50.5(b).  In order to be eligible for the FEE WAIVER, the completed Fee Waiver form must be submitted with your exam application. A $10 SERVICE CHARGE will be imposed on any checks returned to the Greene County Treasurer.
  3. TIME AND PLACE OF EXAM: Accepted candidates will be notified by letter approximately two (2) weeks prior to the exam date when and where to appear for the exam.
  4. MULTIPLE EXAMINATIONS & CROSS FILERS SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME DAY:  If you have applied to take a written exam announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written exam, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date, so they can make arrangements for taking all exams at one exam site.  All exams for positions in State government are held at a State exam center.  When taking both State and Local government exams, you are required to take all exams at the STATE exam site.  For Greene County call (518) 719-3253, or obtain the cross filer form from our website or write to the above address no later than two (2) weeks prior to the date of the exams.
  5. SPECIAL EXAM ARRANGEMENTS & RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS: If you require particular accommodations or special testing arrangements as a person with a disability or alternate test date candidate (in accordance with alternate test date policy) clearly indicate this on your Application and the required form must accompany the application.   For religious accommodation, most written exams are held on Saturdays.  If you cannot take the test on the announced test date due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, please check the box under #5 “RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION.”  We will make arrangements for you to take the exam on a different date, usually the following Monday.
  6. AGE REQUIREMENT: Unless otherwise specified in the exam announcement, there are no age restrictions.  However, there may be statutory restrictions on your employment if you are under 18 or over 70 years of age.
  7. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: Unless otherwise specified in the exam announcement, candidates in all open competitive exams must at the time of the exam, have been legal residents for at least one (1) month of the political subdivision in which they seek appointment.
  8. VETERANS’ CREDIT: Disabled and non-disabled veterans who establish their eligibility for additional credits  and  are successful in the exam are entitled to have 10 and 5 points respectively (5 and 2 ½ points of credits in the case of promotion exams), added to their earned scores provided they have not used such credits to obtain permanent appointment or promotion.  You will be allowed the option of waiving these credits after the completion of the exam.  Effective 1/1/98 the State Constitution was amended to permit a candidate currently in the armed forces to apply for and be conditionally granted veteran’s credit in exams.  Any candidate who applies for such credit must provide proof of military status to receive the conditional credit.  No credit may be granted after the establishment of the list.  IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CANDIDATE TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTARY PROOF TO THIS OFFICE indicating that the service was in time of war, as defined in Sec. 85 of C. S. Law and that the candidate received an honorable discharge or was released under honorable conditions in order to be certified at a score including veterans’ credit.  An appropriate application form may be obtained at the Civil Service Office. FAILURE TO PROVIDE PROOF PRIOR TO ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ELIGIBLE LIST WILL RESULT IN NO ADDITIONAL CREDIT BEING GRANTED.
  9. ADDITIONAL SERVICE CREDIT FOR CHILDREN OF FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY: In conformance with Section 85-a of the C.S. Law children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty shall be entitled to receive an additional ten points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served. If you are qualified to participate in this examination and are a child of a firefighter or police officer killed in the line of duty in this municipality, please inform this office of this matter when you submit your application for examination. A candidate claiming such credit has a minimum of two months from the application deadline to provide the necessary documentation to verify additional credit eligibility. However, no credit may be added after the eligible list has been established.
  10. TRANSCRIPTS & COLLEGE DEGREES: Whenever college transcripts or diplomas are requested, they should be submitted with the application for the exam or as soon as possible thereafter before the examination.  For further details contact this office.
  11. RATING & REVIEW: The passing grade is 70.  Unless the announcement states otherwise, this examination is being prepared and rated by NYS Civil Service in accordance with Section 23.2 of the NYS C.S. Law.  The provisions of the NYS C.S. Rules and Regulations dealing with the preparation and rating of written exams will apply to this exam.
  12. TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: Training and experience will not be a subject of the exam unless specified on the front of the announcement. If a subject of the exam, training and experience may not be rated if all passing candidates are expected to be immediately reachable for appointment.   If rated, training and experience will be based on the statements in your application which are subject to verification.
  13. ELIGIBLE LIST: Eligible lists will be established on the basis of passing grades received by the candidates in the competitive portions of the exam.  Lists are established for a duration of one year unless further extended.  The resulting eligible list will be used to fill appropriate vacancies as they occur.  Lists resulting from promotion examinations are certified first.
  14. SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR APPOINTMENT IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND BOCES: Per Chapter 180 of the Laws of 2000, and by the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, to be employed in a position designated by a school district or BOCES involving direct contact with students, a clearance for employment from the State Education Department is required.
  15. FOR POSITIONS REQUIRING CRIMINAL BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION & FINGERPRINTING:  Applicants may be required to undergo a state and national criminal history background investigation, which will include a fingerprint check, to determine suitability for appointment. Failure to meet the standards for the background investigation may result in disqualification. Fingerprints to be used in performing the background checks would be collected from applicants pursuant to regulations promulgated by the DCJS, which will perform the State background check.  DCJS will also submit the fingerprints to the FBI for the completion of the national background check.  Individuals found to have criminal histories that bar their appointment to the position sought would then be disqualified by the municipal civil service agency pursuant to Section 50(4) of the Civil Service Law.  As mentioned above, this Chapter applies to applicants or eligibles for original appointment to positions in the classified service.  Current employees, transfer candidates, individuals reinstated from preferred lists pursuant to Section 81 of the Civil Service Law and applicants for promotion exams or current eligible’s on promotion eligible lists are specifically exempted from the provisions of this Chapter.  This act took effect July 22, 2003.
  16. CALCULATORS: Unless otherwise notified, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand-held, solar or battery powered calculators. The calculator function on cell phones and devices with typewriter keyboards, spell checkers, personal digital assistants, address books, language translators, dictionaries or any similar devices are prohibited.  You may not bring reference materials unless notified to do so.
  17. WEATHER: Listen to your local TV & Radio Stations, (WNYT, WRGB, WTEN, WXXA & 98.5 THE CAT, OLDIES 93.5, 1230 WHUC, 810 WGY, 107.7 WGNA)
  18. EMERGENCIES (OTHER THAN WEATHER): If any emergency prevents you from appearing for the exam, please notify this office no later than 10:00 AM on the Monday following the test date. (Tuesday, if Monday is a holiday) verifiable documentation of the reason must be provided.

NOTE:  As a condition of employment only within Greene County Departments candidates receiving a conditional offer of employment must successfully pass a drug screen, failure to meet the above standards may result in disqualification. Also, any other entity or employer making a conditional offer of employment may also impose these same conditions.