King v. Leavy

12 P.2d 661, 124 Cal. App. 422, 1932 Cal. App. LEXIS 763
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 22, 1932
DocketDocket No. 8461.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 12 P.2d 661 (King v. Leavy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
King v. Leavy, 12 P.2d 661, 124 Cal. App. 422, 1932 Cal. App. LEXIS 763 (Cal. Ct. App. 1932).

Opinion

STURTEVANT, J.

This is an appeal from the judgment of the trial court granting to the petitioner a writ of mandate. The petitioner is and for some years has been a boilermaker employed in the fire department of San Francisco. On the 15th of January, 1932, he applied for his pay, $96.19, and believing that the demand was higher than authorized by law the defendant, as controller, refused to audit the demand. Thereupon this proceeding was commenced. The San Francisco Bureau of Governmental Research intervened.

There is no claim that prior to January 8, 1932, the date the new charter took effect, the appointment or compensation *424 of the petitioner was irregular. However, the defendant claims that for the period subsequent to January 8, 1932, and prior to January 15, 1932, the pay of the petitioner was governed by the provisions of the new charter and ordinances enacted in accordance with the provisions of said charter. In reply the petitioner denies that he is asking anything prohibited by the charter and asserts that the charter is silent on the subject and that his claim does not conflict with the ordinances which have been enacted since the charter took effect. Ordinance 9001, the budget ordinance, was approved June 3, 1931, and deals with the year June 30, 1931, to July 1, 1932. Ordinance 9019 was approved June 30, 1931, and provides for the conversion of per diem compensation into a monthly compensation and also provides for a five-day week. Ordinance 9135 was approved January 6, 1932. It is an appropriation ordinance and among other things it appropriated $103,540 for the fire department. Ordinance 9136 was passed by the supervisors on January 6, 1932. It was approved by the mayor on the thirteenth day of January, 1932. It is designated “Annual Salary Ordinance”. Section 11 deals with the fire department. It purports to set forth the monthly compensation of the employees. The position of boilermaker appears as one of the items and the compensation is stated at $202.50.

Under section 141 of the charter it is provided that the civil service commission will propose a salary standardization. On April 9, 1930, almost two years before the charter took effect, a document of that character was prepared. No ordinance approving it was ever passed. On the trial of this case the intervener nevertheless tendered said document in evidence. An objection was made and was sustained. We see no error in the ruling. The document was inchoate. In that form it was not evidence in this ease for either party.

It is contended that Ordinances 9019 and 9136 provided for compensation to petitioner in excess of that allowed by sections 71 and 151 of the charter. When those ordinances were introduced the charter had not taken effect. It is therefore quite immaterial whether the ordinances complied with the provisions of the charter. It is not claimed that said ordinances were in any respect in violation *425 of the provisions of the charter that was in effect at the time said ordinances were introduced.

The next claim made is that all ordinances in conflict with the new charter were automatically repealed as to conflicting provisions when the new charter took effect. (2 McQuillin on Municipal Corporations, sec. 940; 43 C. J. 567.) The same rule is implied by the sentence in section 2 which is that “All ordinances or resolutions in force at the time this charter takes effect and not inconsistent therewith shall continue in force until amended or repealed.” Conceding the contention to be a sound rule of law, nothing is called to our attention showing any conflict. No passage in the charter purports to abolish the position which the petitioner holds nor to fix nor alter the amount of his compensation. But, adverting to facts which do not appear on the face of the ordinances, it is argued that, when such facts are taken into consideration then the ordinances conflict with the charter. Thus it is asserted that the sum of $2,430 inserted in the budget was based on a 270-day year; that the monthly wage was set at $202.50 by dividing $2,430 by 12; and that later a five-day week and a 254-day year was provided for. And that, in making the latter changes, Ordinance 9019 “automatically increased petitioner’s compensation beyond that which he received January 1, 1931, by some $12.00 per month.” We do not understand the appellants to claim that any one of the ordinances was invalid when enacted. Their claim is that after the new charter took effect on January 8, 1932, the ordinances operated in such a manner as to be in conflict with the charter. Again, we do not understand the appellants to claim that any one of the ordinances conflicted with any express provision in the charter. However, we do understand them to contend that the theory of the charter is such as to prohibit the objections complained of. Among others the charter contained the following passages which we have re-arranged for the purpose of clearly presenting the plan of the framers. The letters are our own.

(A) “Sec. 141. The civil service commission shall be the employment and personnel department of the city and county and shall determine appointments on the basis of . merit and fitness, as shown by appropriate tests. The commission shall classify, and from time to time may reclassify, *426 in accordance with duties and responsibilities of the employment, and training and experience required, all places of employment in the departments and offices of the city and county not specifically exempted by this charter from the civil service provisions thereof, or which may be created hereafter by general law and not specifically exempted from said civil service provisions.

(B) “Sec. 151. ... In fixing schedules of compensation, as in this section provided, the board of supervisors, through the civil service commission shall cause a schedule of compensations to be proposed, based upon the classification as provided in section 141, under which like compensation shall be paid for like service, with due regard to the seniority of the personnel included in each class, and with regard also to other compensations in the city and county service not subject to salary standardization. Such compensation shall be not higher than prevailing rates for like service and working conditions in private employment or in other comparable governmental organizations in this state.

(C) “Sec. 151. . . . The board of supervisors may approve, amend or reject the schedule of compensations proposed by the civil service commission; . . .

(D) “Sec. 151. The board of supervisors shall have power and it shall be its duty to fix by ordinance from time to time, as in this section provided, all salaries, wages and compensations of every kind and nature, except pension or retirement allowances, for the positions, or places of employment, of all officers and employees of all departments, offices, boards and commissions of the city and county in all cases where such compensations are paid by the city and county.

(E) “Sec. 71. ...

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Bluebook (online)
12 P.2d 661, 124 Cal. App. 422, 1932 Cal. App. LEXIS 763, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/king-v-leavy-calctapp-1932.