Sand Mountain Reporter

A new proposal by Albertville Council President Diane McClendon makes sense to a degree, but we caution the council against adopting this measure without careful thought.

McClendon proposed the city council begin to approve all hires made by Mayor Lindsey Lyons and the city’s various department heads.

The current ordinance gives the mayor the power to temporarily hire employees who would then be approved at the next meeting of the city council.

Most hires are made at the recommendation of the department heads and some have already disagreed with the need to change the current policy.

Other cities have become deadlocked over policies that require full city council approval before hiring personnel. Such a policy becomes political ammunition when councils get split over matters and one faction refuses to hire recommended personnel as a matter of retribution.

Think that couldn’t happen here? Think again.

Let’s keep politics out of the hiring procedure and policies. Council members should have policies in effect that allow a police chief, for instance, to interview and select the best person for a position.

Let’s keep it simple.

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Serving Albertville and the Sand Mountain region

Publisher: Ben Shurett

1603 Progress Drive
Albertville, Alabama 35950

Tel: 256-840-3000 | Email

A Southern Newspapers publication.