The Department of Civil Service maintains all personnel records for City Hall, Mount Vernon Public Library, Mount Vernon Housing Authority and the Board of Education.

The Civil Service Commission is composed of three members appointed by the Mayor with six-year terms of office. The Commission President serves a term of one year and is the head of the local Civil Service Commission. The office, staffed by the Commission Secretary and Senior Typist, is open during business hours and handles requests for applications, information and assistance regarding civil service.

The Civil Service Commission is required to follow the rules governing civil service matters and fills position openings through procedures established by New York State Municipal Civil Service Division to ensure competitiveness and fairness in hiring.

Examinations are usually held to fill open positions. Candidates are tested for particular qualifications relating to Civil Service job titles. This is called "merit and fitness" to hold the position. After the exam is given an "eligible list" is established for each position tested that ranks persons who pass the test by order of their written score. Sometimes additional tests are given from particular jobs. These scores are also included in the overall ranking of a "candidate."

Civil Service Law requires the City of Mount Vernon to review the top three scorers, a procedure known as the One-in-Three rule. A certified list can remain active for one year but can be extended at the request of a Department Head or Commissioner of a city department. There are some positions within the city that do not require persons holding the jobs to take tests. These positions usually require special skills that make recruitment and/or testing difficult.