Algood To Move Forward With Hiring Of Bradshaw

Algood City Administrator Keith Morrison will move forward with the hiring of Walt Bradshaw as Public Works Director.

That after Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler said during a special called meeting Monday night, council members should not have voted on his appointment last week.

“Those things are within our city administrator’s purview and not the council, Chapman-Fowler said. “And so that item does not need our vote or approval. It just needs to meet Mr. Morrison’s approval. We want to state that we have reviewed the charter and our policies and procedures, and it would be inappropriate for the council to vote on the public works director.”

Council members voted to delay a vote on Bradshaw last week, concerned the city had not done enough to recruit a new public works director.

City Attorney Danny Rader said Morrison put the question on last week’s agenda because he wanted council input. Rader said everyone was trying to do the right thing, but in the end, it is Morrison’s decision to make.

“After last week’s vote to table it, we got to take a closer look at the language of the city charter and the ordinances that the city has passed with respect to the personnel policies,” Rader said. “And the council has vested that authority in the city administrator. That’s the same as most cities do that have a city manager or city administrator. It’s that individual’s responsibility to hire and fire department heads and employees like that and not to involve the council in those kinds of decisions for the protection of the council, for the protections of the city, and for the protections of the employees.”

Morrison said after the meeting he planned to pursue hiring Bradshaw.