City of Middlesborough v. Grubbs

CULLEN, Commissioner.

In an action by six members of the city police force against the City of Middles-borough the circuit court held invalid an ordinance of the city establishing a merit system for the police department. The city has appealed.

The ordinance abolished all ranks in the police department other than that of chief, and in lieu thereof created a schedule of grades, with designated pay scales. It provided that each existing member of the department should be placed in a grade which would give him a salary $10 per month higher than his salary at the time of adoption of the ordinance.…