Though the move may have seemed quick to some, Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr. said the City ordinance to give appointment powers to the mayor has been a long time coming.

“What may be fast to some people has been a long time for others,” he said. “I’ve waited four years for this.”

The ordinance leaves the appointment of the city clerk, treasurer and municipal judges in the hands of the council but gives the others, including the police and fire chiefs to the mayor.

According to Perkins, most towns in the state follow a similar procedure.

The ordinance states that the mayor, as chief executive officer, should have the appointment powers in accordance with Section 11-43-81 of the Code of Alabama, 1975.

However, Selma has traditionally differed from the code in its dispensation of powers.

According to former City Council member and current State Representative Yusef Salaam, the only time the mayor has controlled the powers was briefly after then mayor Joe Smitherman assumed control before the council’s historic switch from a majority white council to a majority black one. Protests arose in the community over the move and eventually the council took the powers back.

That switch leaves some on the council wondering why it is appropriate for one mayor to have the powers but not another.

“They have not made the case to have the appointment powers. When we had a white mayor they wanted the city council to have the powers, now that we have a black mayor they want him to have the powers,” newly elected Ward 1 councilman Cecil Williamson said. “That is a hypocritical double standard and it smacks of reverse racism. What weighs on my decision is I don’t see how they can have it both ways.”

It seems unlikely that there will be much opposition to the ordinance from the council Monday night.

Though he plans to vote no, Williamson acknowledged the votes are there to pass it.

“The ordinance is going to pass so I’m not going to fall on a spear about it,” he said. “I probably won’t say anything.”

Fellow freshman Johnnie Leashore says that as the CEO of the city, the mayor is held responsible for the people who work under him.

As such, he should have the ability to hire and retain the people he can work with.

“I plan to vote for it because it’s the right thing to do,” Leashore said. “As it stands now, the mayor is not responsible for anything. The Council can’t hold the mayor responsible. If he’s not allowed to delegate the authority to run those departments, then he can’t be held accountable.”

Several other council people, including Bennie Ruth Crenshaw from Ward 7 and Dr. Geraldine Allen from Ward 4 said the people want the powers in the mayor’s hands.

“I think the citizens spoke in their own way,” Crenshaw said. “We have to move on what they want.”

“I truly believe if the constituents voted him or any of the council back in, they believe he would be responsible,”

Perkins said he believes the city should have followed the state law all along.

“In my opinion, I think the (previous) city council opted not to follow the state,” he said. “They have the latitude to make new law. They decided not to follow the state.”

It seems those concerned about the change in designation of powers are as worried about the removal of department heads as the hiring of them.

The ordinance states that department heads shall hold office from month-to-month, which is not a change from the previous Selma law.

“There’s always such a thing as due process,” Leashore said.

The ordinance states the powers should go to the mayor on Nov. 1, Perkins said that once that happens he will be making some changes.

“That will be done on a case by case basis,” Perkins said. “People will have sufficient notice and all that (but) there will be some changes and they will be well thought out.”

Second term councilman Sam Randolph threw his support behind the mayor.

“I just want to let the citizens as well as the department heads know the mayor is going to do a fair job. A lot of people speculate this and that. We just want to give the mayor the opportunity to do his job,” Randolph said. “I truly say he is a Christian man. He’s going to let the Lord lead him. He’s not going to make no drastic cuts or whatever. People need to stop trying to speculate on what he wants to do. He’s going to have the best qualified in those positions.”

Attempts to contact Council President George Evans were unsuccessful.