SEBRING– Sebring voters will decide the fate of two charter amendments on the Nov. 4 ballot, one to eliminate the civil service commission and one to clean up language regarding the parks and recreation board.

Sebring Village Manager Tim Gabrelcik explained that the civil service commission is obsolete since the village is no longer a city. Having to go through civil service is prohibitive to hiring staff for the police and fire departments. Testing is currently required through the civil service commission.

“We will still have testing standards and an interview process,” Gabrelcik said.

Police officers have certifications from the state and the village will have a four-member committee to oversee the hiring, including the village manager, mayor, police chief and a citizen who is currently on the civil service commission. Advanced positions will still use a test, including for dispatchers.

As for the charter amendment related to the parks and recreation board, he said the amendment is related to cleaning up the language from the last charter review.

He explained that one specific change will be in the appointment of board members by the Sebring School Board. The language previously allowed the appointment of residents of the school district, but now the appointees by the school board must be residents of Sebring. The school board appoints two members of the parks and recreation board.

Gabrelcik said the charter amendments have been discussed at village council meetings.

Sebring voters will also see two levy renewals on the ballot: a fire levy that will collect $137,059 annually at a rate not exceeding 3 mills for fire equipment, maintenance, buildings and capital improvements; and a parks and recreation levy that will collect $32,247 annually at a rate not to exceed 1 mill for parks and recreational expenses.