By Staff
Hargett needs 100 percent support
First, looking around a jam-packed city hall auditorium Monday night, regular city council meeting attendees couldn't help wondering, "Where are all these people every other meeting?"
It was great that so many people showed up to hear who the council would hire as police chief, but we would urge those folks to realize that the council votes on things almost every meeting that affect the city just as much as the police chief hire.
It's almost like a church who can get hundreds of people to attend on a Wednesday night for a controversial business meeting, but can't draw 75 for regular Wednesday night Bible study.
That's a shame. We'll just say it would be great to sustain such a high level of interest in council activities.
But back to the focus of today's editorial…Chris Hargett was unanimously approved as chief after a months-long search process that has been a favorite topic of conversation all around the city.
The process has been followed closely since the beginning, when in a rare moment of dissension the last city council narrowly voted to allow applicants from inside and outside the department to be considered.
Several current officers applied for the job and have let their displeasure be known after they failed to make the civil service board's final list, which the council was legally bound to choose from.
Having followed this process closely, we would like to say that the civil service board worked extremely hard for months and did exactly what it was appointed to do - take politics out of the hiring process, carefully consider each applicant, and choose what board members believed to be the three best candidates for the job.
Then the council did what it was elected to do - interview the finalists and choose the one council members thought was best for the job.
Hargett was the choice, and a good one, but if he does not get 100 percent support, the process will be all have been for naught.
And we mean 100 percent support from everyone - the mayor, the council, the current police officers, and yes, even those applicants that didn't get the job.
It's Hargett's department now, and he should be given the time, the support and the authority he needs to make whatever changes he wants to make and lead the department forward.
We support him. Here's urging everyone else to do the same.