Selma mayor presents plan to reorganize city departments

Selma Mayor Johnny Moss III plans to reorganize city departments.

Moss is asking the Selma City Council to let him create an organizational chart of eight departments that report directly to him. There are now at least 13 direct reports.

If approved, the city will take applications for five newly created departments after the new fiscal year starts Oct. 1. The positions and responsibilities of the police chief, fire chief and city clerk are not affected by the reorganization.  

The proposed organizational chart calls for departments of finance and administration, public works and infrastructure services, planning and community development, human resources, information technology, police department (chief), fire department (chief), and city clerk.

To make this streamlined organizational structure work, several functions that are now led by department directors that report to the mayor will be placed under a new, larger department.

Moss’s plan calls for the current cemetery (removal of director), landfill, code enforcement (to be renamed neighborhood improvement) and public buildings departments to be placed under the new public works department. Parks and recreation would be placed under the planning and community development department, and tax and license would be placed under the finance department.

“The proposed organizational alignment primarily realigns existing departments and reporting relationships,” Moss said in a memo to the city council. “No immediate expansion of government is proposed.+

In his memo, Moss said that in his nine months in office his administration “identified opportunities to improve accountability, better align departmental functions, strengthen executive leadership and position the city for long-term success.”

His proposal “does not constitute the appointment of any individual to any position. Executive appointments will be made following a competitive recruitment process in accordance with applicable law,” Moss said in his memo.

Here’s a rundown of the realigned departments on Moss’s proposed organizational chart:

Public works

Mission: Maintain the City's infrastructure, public facilities, neighborhoods, and municipal assets.

Responsibilities:

• Streets
• Drainage
• Fleet
• Public Buildings
• Cemetery
• Landfill
• Grounds Maintenance
• Animal Services
• Neighborhood Improvement (Code Enforcement)

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Planning & Community Development

Mission: Guide Selma's future through planning, economic development, redevelopment, recreation, grants, and community partnerships.

Responsibilities:

• Planning & Zoning
• Building Inspections
• Economic Development
• Community Development
• Parks & Recreation
• Historic Preservation
• Opportunity Zones
• Grant Administration

Finance

Mission: Protect taxpayer resources through responsible financial management.

Responsibilities:

• Budget
• Accounting
• Treasury
• Payroll
• Purchasing
• Revenue Services
• Risk Management

Human Resources

Mission: Recruit, develop, and retain a professional workforce.

Information Technology

Mission: Modernize City government through technology, cybersecurity, innovation, and digital services.

Moss is expected to present his new organizational structure at Tuesday’s work session. Items brought before the council in the work session are not voted on that night unless the council votes to suspend the rules.