Selma City Council works on replacing Ward 1 councilman and police chief

The Selma City Council is figuring out how to replace a city councilperson and a police chief.

The city council removed Ward 1 Councilman Troy Harvill from his position on June 23 because of excessive absences. If the council doesn’t appoint someone to fill the seat by July 25, the mayor must call a special election.

Selma Mayor Johnny Moss III told the council at their July 14 work session that he believes the city can hold the special election for about $10,000, and that money is available in the Ward 1 discretionary fund.

Council President Pro Tem Michael Johnson, who ran the July 14 meeting in the absence of Council President Kennard Randolph, said the council should consider appointing one of the candidates who ran unsuccessfully for the Ward 1 seat in 2025, noting that “they just campaigned” in August.  

Harvill, the incumbent, won the seat in September 2025 in a runoff with Charles Bennett. Felicia King-Thomas was eliminated in the first round of voting. Harvill was sworn in with the mayor and other council members in November 2025.

Councilman Clay Carmichael said that he felt the citizens of Ward 1 “deserve to be able to put their voices” into the choice for a councilperson considering that a majority of those who voted in 2025 voted for someone other than Harvill. Harvill received 45% of the votes in the August election.

As for the police chief, the city council voted to ask the council’s Public Safety Committee to give them the names of three applicants to be the city’s new police chief for them to consider.

Former Selma police officer Michael Perry was named interim chief April 10 after the city placed former Police Chief Kenta Fulford on administrative leave. Fulford stepped down as chief shortly thereafter.

Johnson said the Public Safety Committee will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 16 to go over applications.