HB288 Alabama 2024 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Kenyatte HassellRepresentative
Democrat
Session: Regular Session 2024
Title: Montgomery County and municipalities 5,000 or more, county-wide personnel system, exempt positions in municipalities, further expanded.
Summary: HB288 expands Montgomery County's countywide personnel system to include municipalities with 5,000+ population and creates exempt, mayor-appointed positions with pay set by the county personnel board.
What This Bill Does
The bill applies the countywide personnel system to county and affected municipalities, with certain exemptions. It creates an exempt service for a list of municipal leadership positions that are appointed by the mayor and paid according to a pay and classification study by the personnel board. If a mayor removes an exempt appointee for non-cause, that person may return to competitive service as if they had never been appointed or removed. All other offices and employees not expressly exempted remain in the competitive or classified service, and the pay for exempt positions will be set by the personnel board. The act takes effect October 1, 2024.

Who It Affects
Group 1: Employees of Montgomery County and affected municipalities (population 5,000+), including those in the new exempt positions listed, whose status and pay will be governed by the countywide system and pay/classification study; they may be moved into exempt status and could be removed by the mayor for non-cause, with potential return to competitive service.
Group 2: Mayors of affected municipalities and the Montgomery County Personnel Board, who appoint exempt-position holders and set compensation for those positions through the pay/classification study.

Key Provisions
Establishes a countywide personnel system for Montgomery County and municipalities with 5,000+ population, applying to all officers and employees except specified exemptions.
Creates an exempt service for a list of municipal leadership and executive positions (e.g., chief of staff, city attorney, police chief, fire chief, mayoral aides, and other listed roles) that are appointed by the mayor and serve at the mayor's pleasure; compensation to be determined by a pay and classification study conducted by the personnel board.
Compensation for exempt positions shall be set by the county personnel board through the pay and classification study.
If a mayor removes an exempt appointee for reasons other than cause, and the person was in competitive or classified service at initial appointment, they may return to competitive service as if never appointed or removed.
Non-exempt offices/positions remain in the competitive or classified service; the act intends to include all offices/positions in the county and municipalities that are paid from public funds, with certain staff of public corporations not included in the competitive service.
Effective date: October 1, 2024.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Montgomery County