Gahanna HR reports 119 civil‑service positions, 30 exams in 2025; posts police and communications tests for Feb. 2026
January 16, 2026 | Gahanna, Franklin County, Ohio
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Ben Nolan, the city’s human resources manager, delivered the Civil Service Commission’s 2025 year‑in‑review and outlined the 2026 civil service testing plan.
“As of today, the city has 119 employees in classic classifications covered by civil service,” Nolan said, and he noted that those classifications include police officer (48 employees), parks maintenance worker 1 (11), communications technician 1 (8) and service maintenance worker 3 (8). Nolan reported that the department conducted 30 examinations in 2025 and that recruitment and outreach used job boards (governmentjobs.com, Handshake), the Ohio Municipal League, HBCU Connect, the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission, and city social media as well as attendance at job and career fairs.
Nolan described 2025 safety testing: police officer testing follows rule 13 of the civil service rules and includes written exams through the National Testing Network (NTN) and a city‑administered physical fitness test; lateral police officer processes (rule 13.13) occurred multiple times and the police lieutenant process was administered under article 14 of the Fraternal Order of Police collective bargaining agreement with assessment centers and oral boards coordinated by the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and scored by PRADCO.
On nonsafety positions Nolan said Bowling Green State University’s Institute for Psychological Research and Application wrote and scored those examinations and listed positions tested in 2025 (service maintenance, fleet technician, forestry foreman, facilities maintenance roles and custodial maintenance) and the mix of written exams, training‑and‑experience evaluations and interviews used.
For hires, Nolan said the city added five police officers, one police sergeant, two police lieutenants and two communications technician 1 employees in 2025; he noted one communications technician 1 employee resigned and that remaining hires are in probationary periods. Parks and recreation and public service hires were also summarized, and Nolan said one facilities maintenance coordinator completed probation.
Looking ahead to 2026 Nolan said the city will post police officer and communications technician 1 from Feb. 1–28, 2026 (police officer showing three anticipated vacancies) and that facilities maintenance worker postings ran Dec. 1–31, 2025 with five anticipated hires before a planned move to a new building. Bowling Green State University will continue to write and score nonsafety exams and the police and communications processes will follow the 2025 structure.
During Q&A, a commissioner asked whether recruiting police officers remained difficult; Nolan said recruiting is ‘‘more of a national issue’’ but added the city has filled communications technician vacancies and ‘‘we are down to 3 vacancies.’’ Mayor Jadlin also noted that pursuing lateral hires helped attract qualified police candidates.
Ending: Nolan concluded that the 2025 review and 2026 testing plan were complete and offered to answer further questions; with no additional questions the commission adjourned the regular meeting at 6:18 p.m.
“As of today, the city has 119 employees in classic classifications covered by civil service,” Nolan said, and he noted that those classifications include police officer (48 employees), parks maintenance worker 1 (11), communications technician 1 (8) and service maintenance worker 3 (8). Nolan reported that the department conducted 30 examinations in 2025 and that recruitment and outreach used job boards (governmentjobs.com, Handshake), the Ohio Municipal League, HBCU Connect, the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission, and city social media as well as attendance at job and career fairs.
Nolan described 2025 safety testing: police officer testing follows rule 13 of the civil service rules and includes written exams through the National Testing Network (NTN) and a city‑administered physical fitness test; lateral police officer processes (rule 13.13) occurred multiple times and the police lieutenant process was administered under article 14 of the Fraternal Order of Police collective bargaining agreement with assessment centers and oral boards coordinated by the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and scored by PRADCO.
On nonsafety positions Nolan said Bowling Green State University’s Institute for Psychological Research and Application wrote and scored those examinations and listed positions tested in 2025 (service maintenance, fleet technician, forestry foreman, facilities maintenance roles and custodial maintenance) and the mix of written exams, training‑and‑experience evaluations and interviews used.
For hires, Nolan said the city added five police officers, one police sergeant, two police lieutenants and two communications technician 1 employees in 2025; he noted one communications technician 1 employee resigned and that remaining hires are in probationary periods. Parks and recreation and public service hires were also summarized, and Nolan said one facilities maintenance coordinator completed probation.
Looking ahead to 2026 Nolan said the city will post police officer and communications technician 1 from Feb. 1–28, 2026 (police officer showing three anticipated vacancies) and that facilities maintenance worker postings ran Dec. 1–31, 2025 with five anticipated hires before a planned move to a new building. Bowling Green State University will continue to write and score nonsafety exams and the police and communications processes will follow the 2025 structure.
During Q&A, a commissioner asked whether recruiting police officers remained difficult; Nolan said recruiting is ‘‘more of a national issue’’ but added the city has filled communications technician vacancies and ‘‘we are down to 3 vacancies.’’ Mayor Jadlin also noted that pursuing lateral hires helped attract qualified police candidates.
Ending: Nolan concluded that the 2025 review and 2026 testing plan were complete and offered to answer further questions; with no additional questions the commission adjourned the regular meeting at 6:18 p.m.
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