'Selma is entering a new era,' Moss says at his first state of the city address

Selma Mayor Johnny Moss III said that his administration is building systems “that will move the city forward.”

At his first state of the city address marking his first 100 days in office, Moss said on March 23 that he when he became mayor on Nov. 3, he “did not walk into a city that was not working. I walked into a city that was working without structure.”

“Good people were doing good work, but they were working in silos,” Moss said. “Success depended on one person and not a system. When knowledge lives in a person and not a system, you don’t have consistency. You have risk.”

Moss said that he and his team have set four priorities for the city: Creating enhanced and accountable systems, making visible improvements in quality of life, strengthening public safety and trust in the Selma Police Department and creating more economic opportunity.

“For the first time, we are moving in one direction,” Moss said. “We cannot fix the city without fixing how the city operates.”

“Selma is entering a new era,” Moss said. “A new era of transparency, accountability and structure.”

“Selma didn’t get here overnight, and we’re not going to fix it overnight, but we are addressing changing the culture of the city,” Moss said.

Moss listed a series of changes, starting with a new accounting system that will allow city leaders to better track revenue and expenses so they can “make more data-based decisions.”

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The Selma Police Department “has work to do,” Moss said. Chief Kenta Fulford will work on recruiting and retaining officers while expanding community-based policing, Moss said.

“Public safety is not just enforcement. It’s about relationships,” he said. “We must strengthen trust between our officers and the community.”

The Selma Fire Department has restructured, reducing overtime by 28%, Moss said.

Code Enforcement has identified more than 175 unsafe structures, “and for the first time in a long time, we’re building systems to address them,” Moss said. Since November the city has demolished 30 structures and cleaned 10 lots.

The city has installed surveillance cameras to catch illegal trash dumpers, and residents can report illegal dumping by calling (334) 874-6611.

The municipal court system now accepts credit and debit cards, and their warrant clinics have helped residents clear old charges without fear of arrest.

Improvements will continue at Memorial Stadium, and the newly restored field will host a major track event that will bring visitors to the city.

“The foundation we build today is what Selma will stand on tomorrow,” Moss said. “We are not where we want to be yet, but we are no longer where we were. We now have direction, we have alignment and we are building systems that will move the city forward.”