(a) Principles. The town shall embrace the following merit system principles in administering its personnel program:

1. Applicants and employees shall be assured of fair treatment in all aspects of personnel administration without regard for political affiliation, religious creed, sex, national origin, color or race. Individuals shall likewise be treated with proper regard for their privacy and constitutional rights as citizens.
2. Employees shall be recruited, selected, trained and advanced on the basis of their relative ability, knowledge and skill.
3. Employees shall be retained on the basis of the adequacy of their performance. They shall be guided in ways to correct inadequate performance and separated when inadequate performance cannot be corrected.
4. Employees shall be protected against coercion for partisan political purposes.
5. Employees shall receive equitable and adequate pay and benefits and eligible employees shall receive merit pay increases based on the quality of their performance, subject to the availability of funds.

(b) Merit salary increases. Pay increases may be granted to deserving regular full-time employees in accordance with the following provisions:

1. When the employee holds a permanent appointment with the town, i.e., the employee satisfactorily completes the required probationary period.
2. When such an increase will not exceed the maximum salary rate for the class of his position.
3. When a year of continuous service has elapsed.
4. When the work of the employee exceeds the standards established for satisfactory or average performance.
5. When the employee is recommended for a merit salary increase by his department head. It shall be the responsibility of the department head to periodically (at least annually) counsel with his employees with regard to work quality, dependability, attitude, attendance and punctuality, and to suggest ways and means of improving same (where appropriate). The town manager shall be responsible for establishing an appropriate system for implementing this merit provision and to see that it is carried out in a responsible manner.

(Ord. of March 12, 1991, art. II, § 5)