IN GENERAL

Norfolk City Code ch. 2.1, art. I

in effect

Norfolk City Code § 2.1-1 Personnel system notwithstanding contrary provisions of general or special law.

Sec. 2.1-1. - Personnel system notwithstanding contrary provisions of general or special law. (a) The provisions of this chapter, which may be amended from time to time by ordinance on the recommendation of the city manager, shall constitute, along with provisions of the City Charter and the City Code not altered by this chapter, the Personnel System of the City of Norfolk, pursuant to section 15.2-1131 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended. In any instance of conflict between this chapter and any provisions of general or special law except the aforesaid statute, this chapter shall prevail. (b) The city manager is hereby authorized, with the advice of the city attorney, to promulgate regulations consistent with the provisions of this chapter. (c) Notwithstanding any general provisions of this chapter to the contrary, unless expressly stated otherwise, the provisions of this chapter shall not apply to sworn law enforcement officers in the department of police or sworn members of the department of fire and paramedical services. (Ord. No. 40,400, §§ 1—15, 6-26-01)

Norfolk City Code § 2.1-1.1 Advertisement for employment—Classified service.

Sec. 2.1-1.1. - Advertisement for employment—Classified service. (a) Vacancies within positions classified by the civil service commission and all competitive examinations related to them shall be advertised for at least ten (10) days in advance in a manner reasonably likely to provide general notice to the public of such vacancies. (b) The manner of advertising may include, but is not limited to, advertising in or on: at least one newspaper of general circulation published in the city; the internet; and, in certain limited circumstances authorized within this article, the city intranet. (Ord. No. 41,842, § 12C, 5-17-05)

Norfolk City Code § 2.1-1.2 Internal promotion.

Sec. 2.1-1.2. - Internal promotion. (a) The director of human resources may, with the approval of the city manager after written certification stating that competition limited to individuals already employed by the city should allow enough competition to provide an adequate pool of qualified candidates for a particular vacancy in the classified service under the circumstances, proceed to advertise for that vacancy through the city's intranet only, so as to create a pool of candidates from current city employees only. (b) Notwithstanding any other provisions to the contrary, vacancies within the classified service to be filled by internal promotion shall be advertised for no less than five (5) days in advance. Other than the exceptions included in this section, such advertisement shall be done pursuant to all the other rules for advertising classified positions as set out in this article. (c) If, subsequent to the internal advertisement, the director of human resources determines that, contrary to expectation, the pool of applicants initially created by internal advertisement failed to provide an adequate pool of qualified candidates, the director of human resources may, with the approval of the city manager after written certification of the failure, thereafter advertise such a vacancy in the usual process. In such circumstances, the existing applicants shall be considered with any additional ones pursuant to the usual civil service commission rules, as amended, governing the certification of competitors to eligible lists. (d) The director of human resources shall provide the civil service commission with copies of all certifications required under this section at the next regular meeting of the commission after the position opened to limited competition pursuant to this section is filled. (Ord. No. 41,842, § 12C, 5-17-05; Ord. No. 42,279, § 13, 5-16-06)

Norfolk City Code § 2.1-1.3 Officers exempted from the classified service.

Sec. 2.1-1.3. - Officers exempted from the classified service. Officers who are elected by the people or who are elected or confirmed by the council, the heads of the administrative departments of the city, assistant city managers, employees who report directly to and whose positions require the personal trust and confidence of the city manager, employees regardless of their positions, hired and permanently assigned to work for and under the supervision of the constitutional officers of the city or of the circuit court judges of the city, employees in positions requiring a Doctor of Medicine degree or requiring they be a licensed clinical psychologist, licensed professional counselor, licensed nurse practitioner or licensed clinical social worker, assistant heads of administrative departments and heads or chiefs of bureaus and divisions within said departments except for the departments of fire-rescue and police other than those of the deputy chief of police and the deputy fire chief, and members of the law department shall not be included within the classified service. (Ord. No. 44,717, § 2, 6-12-12, eff. 7-1-12; Ord. No. 45,086, § 15, 5-14-13, eff. 7-1-13; Ord. No. 50,039, § 15, 6-24-25, eff. 7-1-25)

Norfolk City Code § 2.1-1.4 City manager authority for personnel actions—Generally.

Sec. 2.1-1.4. - City manager authority for personnel actions—Generally. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter or the charter, the city manager or designee(s) shall have the power and it shall be their duty to appoint all heads or directors of departments, and all subordinate officers and employees of the city in both the classified and unclassified service, and with the power to take personnel actions, including, but not limited to, promoting, demoting, providing bonuses, exemplary performance awards or administrative pay adjustments, disciplining and terminating any officer or employee so appointed, except that in the case of the classified service such actions shall be subject to the civil service provisions of the charter and the rules of the Civil Service Commission. (b) The city manager may delegate the power as deemed appropriate. (Ord. No. 44,741, § 11.1(b), 6-26-12, eff. 6-23-12)

Norfolk City Code § 2.1-1.5 City attorney authority—Department of law.

Sec. 2.1-1.5. - City attorney authority—Department of law. The city attorney is the head of the city's department of law and is directly appointed by the council. Anyone holding a position within the department of law is a member of the law department. The city attorney shall have, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary elsewhere within this Code, the sole power and it shall be his or her duty to take all personnel actions concerning members of the law department, including, but not limited to, promoting, demoting, providing bonuses, exemplary performance awards or administrative pay adjustments, disciplining and terminating any member of the law department. Any compensation adjustments hereunder shall be subject to the availability of funding, including, but not limited to, funding outside of the city attorney's budget which is created exclusively for the provision of bonuses. The director of human resources and the director of budget and management shall be notified of any such compensation adjustments. (Ord. No. 44,741, § 11.1(b), 6-26-12, eff. 6-23-12)

Norfolk City Code § 2.1-1.6 Employment conditioned on residency prohibited; exceptions.

Sec. 2.1-1.6. - Employment conditioned on residency prohibited; exceptions. Pursuant to section 15.2-1505 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, city employment or any aspect of city employment, including promotion, shall not be conditioned on the basis of residency within the city. This section shall not apply to: (a) appointees of elected groups or individuals; (b) officials and employees who by charter or other law serve at the will or pleasure of an appointing authority; (c) deputies and executive assistants to the chief administrative officer of a locality; or (d) agency heads, department heads or their equivalents or chief executive officers of government operations. (Ord. No. 45,589, § 19(b), 6-10-14, eff. 7-1-14)

Norfolk City Code § 2.1-1.7 Equal employment opportunity.

Sec 2.1-1.7. - Equal employment opportunity. The core of equal employment opportunity is the right to work and advance on the basis of merit, ability, and potential, free from prejudice or discrimination. In accordance with this principle, the city prohibits discrimination in city employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, political affiliation, whistleblower activity, parental status, military service or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. (Ord. No. 46,754, § 1, 2-28-17)

Norfolk City Code § 2.1-1.8 Employment standards.

Sec. 2.1-1.8. - Employment standards. (a) The city manager or director of human resources shall establish minimum employment standards for all city employment, including, but not limited to, employment in sworn police officer, firefighter/paramedic, and emergency dispatcher positions. (b) All such standards shall be in writing, approved for content by the city manager or the director of human resources, and approved for form and correctness by a city attorney. (Ord. No. 47,732, § 1, 7-23-19)

Norfolk City Code § 2.1-1.9 Deputy chief of police suspension and removal.

Sec. 2.1-1.9. - Deputy chief of police suspension and removal. The city manager shall have the power to suspend or dismiss the deputy chief of police and his action in every such case shall be final; provided that in the event that the deputy chief of police was appointed to such position from a permanent position in the sworn classified membership of the department of police he shall, at the time of any such suspension or dismissal, or at any time prior thereto, at his request, be restored to the rank he held in the department at the time of his appointment as deputy chief, without being required to take any examination, subject, however, to the provisions of Section 63 of the Charter of the City of Norfolk concerning supervision in the divisions of fire-rescue and police. (Ord. No. 48,091, § 1, 7-14-20)

Norfolk City Code § 2.1-1.10 Employees of constitutional officers accepted into city personnel system—Contracts.

Sec. 2.1-1.10. - Employees of constitutional officers accepted into city personnel system—Contracts. (a) Pursuant to section 2.2-3008 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the City of Norfolk may accept the employees of a constitutional officer for the City of Norfolk into the city's personnel system pursuant to a written agreement between that officer and the city's governing body. Such agreements shall not provide the employees of any constitutional officer the right to access the city's grievance procedure. (b) Upon approval of such an agreement by council by ordinance and its subsequent execution by the city manager and a constitutional officer, that constitutional officer's employees shall be accepted into the city's personnel system under the limits and conditions set out within this section and the agreement. Such agreements may not be altered except pursuant to formal amendments first approved by ordinance by council. (c) Notwithstanding any benefits ordinarily limited to city employment that may be extended to the employees of a constitutional officer pursuant to such an agreement, such employees shall not be considered employees of the city for any reason. (Ord. No. 49,526, § 1, 3-26-24)

Source: City of Norfolk, Virginia, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/norfolk/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COCI_CH2.1PESY_ARTIINGEFetched: 11/1/2026