The Selma City Council has appointed a new fire chief a day after the previous chief resigned.
The council, by a majority vote, appointed Walter Dailey as fire chief effective immediately. Willie Mason Jr., who was named fire chief in February, resigned May 9. Mayor James Perkins Jr. sent a news release on May 10 stating he appointed Capt. Franklin Edwards as interim chief, and he repeated his position that he and not the city council should appoint department heads, especially those involved in public safety.
Mayor Perkins stated, “The citizens elected me to lead the performance of daily operations of city government. But how can I do that when this city council will not listen to me when it comes to who will work as department heads?”
“As long as the city council dictates the appointments of city department heads, there is no way the public can hold me, as mayor, responsible for those departments’ performance,” Perkins said. “This is frustrating and outright managerially impossible to deal with. The citizens elected me and the city council members also, and it must be the citizens who correct this craziness.”
Perkins has continually asked the city council to give him the power to appoint department heads, especially for public safety. State law allows the city council to appoint certain department heads, including public safety and treasurer, City Council President Warren “Billy” Young has said.
“For those who continue asking, ‘What is wrong with Selma’s government?’, the answer is, City Council Overreach,” Perkins said in his statement.
The city council through its administrative assistant released its own statement May 11 announcing the appointment of the new chief. The statement says, “The Council unequivocally understands the needs of its Selma Fire Department, and as a Council we are facing the fire head on. After the resignation of Chief Willie Mason, the Selma City Council, as the Appointing Authority by Ordinance #0108-17/18, has swiftly progressed and appointed a Fire Chief to continue recruiting new firefighters and move the Selma Fire Department in the right direction to ensure continued operations of the Fire Department.
“Walter Dailey was recommended by Chief Mason, who turned a fire department around that saw several firefighters leave over the last year into 12 new recruits under his leadership as Fire Chief. The citizens elected us the city council members and the Mayor also, to work together in harmony, and we all are doing just that working together.”
NOTE: A story in this week’s Selma Sun covers Mason’s resignation, but the appointment of the new chief came after our Tuesday evening deadline.
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