A potential McComb mayoral candidate had a few choice words for selectmen Tuesday when he came before the board to discuss his qualms with their actions during the police and fire chief selection process.
Albert Eubanks, who announced last week he intends to run for mayor in 2014, has spoken publicly multiple times since the three-month search began for permanent police and fire chiefs in McComb.
“My question to you is: Why now are you questioning the selection process of the police and fire chiefs?” Eubanks asked. “No one ever said anything about ‘I’m against it’ or ‘we shouldn’t do it.’ But now that the committee came forth with three names, it’s just a big whirlwind.”
Selectmen Michael Cameron and Tommy McKenzie have repeatedly said they were not in favor of the process. Mayor Whitney Rawlings has on multiple occasions told the board that the city’s code of ordinances gives City Administrator Quordiniah Lockley the power to make a recommendation for each chief, and how Lockley went about making that selection was up to him.
Lockley told the board he would use a seven-person committee for assistance, but the process required no board action.
“The problem is there’s a process that y’all did not have anything to say about until the person you decided you wanted as chief did not get chosen, and then you had something to say,” Eubanks said. “If it would have been the person you chose, I guarantee you every one of y’all would have patted Mr. Lockley on the back.”
However, Lockley has delayed announcing his finalist for the police job, and he said this week he will interview two more candidates.
Eubanks also took issue with Cameron and McKenzie adding the proposed appointment of the two interim chiefs to the agenda on Nov. 26, when Selectman Melvin Joe Johnson was ill. Eubanks said he believes they did this intentionally to avoid a tie vote that Rawlings would have to break, “taking him off the hook.”
Eubanks also said the racial diversity in the police and fire departments does not match that of the city’s population, and he accused city officials of intentionally disregarding applications from minorities.
“You’re in a 66 percent minority city. Why is the makeup of your police force and your fire department, the jobs that pay the most — I guess it’s good enough for us to go dig ditches. Because I’ll tell you right now, in public works, we’re represented. In the sewers, we’re represented, but we’re not in the positions that pay,” Eubanks said. “So I’m asking you to do the right thing, to look at diversifying this work force because the time is going to come when you won’t be in power. Like my grandfather always said, ‘It ain’t gonna be fun when the rabbit’s got the gun.’ ”
After the meeting recessed, Cameron responded to Eubanks’ comments and Lockley’s written statement explaining Lockley’s choice to interview the remaining two candidates in the top five options for police chief after inaccuracies were found in the committee’s data.
“Mr. Lockley, you state your findings, but not once did you discuss the results of your findings,” Cameron said. “I would like to ask people like Mr. Eubanks, Mr. (Vernell) Simmons, Mr. (Ronnie) Brock — what would you do? Put yourself in this position, and what would you do?
“Is it OK that I take into consideration that things are wrong? Because I consider this to be one of the most important hires I will make in my lifetime,” he said.
Cameron said he understood Lockley’s decision to use a committee to help him in the process but did not agree with the board’s distance from the process and unfamiliarity with the other 56 applicants.
At the last board meeting, Cameron brought a stack of applications, score sheets and other committee information and presented his evidence that an interview score for a highly ranked candidate had been transposed incorrectly and one committee member’s scores were not included when choosing the final three names to give to Lockley.
“I’ve had the stack about a foot tall at our last two meetings, I made comments last week and provided fact and was told it was opinion,” Cameron said. “Not one person sitting around this table other than the few that had looked at the data asked to see it. Nobody wanted to because it was fact.”
Cameron also said the city was not attempting to discriminate against any minority. Cameron said that during his time as selectman, every candidate for police officer or firefighter brought before the board after passing numerous written and physical tests was hired.
Lockley said he should have a recommendation for the police chief and fire chief at the Dec. 23 board meeting.
“This is to Mr. Eubanks,” Cameron said. “Good luck in his campaign, and maybe he should say that he’s not going to uphold what’s right or stand up for what’s right.”
