Who should hold clerk interviews?

Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant Jr., Town Accountant Robert Hudson, and J.R. Jones, chairman of the board at Escambia County Bank will conduct interviews Wednesday, May 22, to narrow the list of applicants for a new town clerk to replace Shila Carter who will step down May 24 to take a position as a dispatcher for the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office.

Following a lengthy discussion on who should be involved in the interview process, Councilman Roger Adkinson said it is up to the mayor to bring a name to the table for the council to either approve or disapprove.

Bondurant praised the job Carter did and told the council she's going to job where she will make more money.

“I'm not sure but I think you were instrumental in finding our $640,000 error and I appreciate it,” said Councilman Buster Crapps. “Anytime I needed something you were right there.”

Bondurant also told the council that Carter would be available to train the next clerk and she said she would be at the next council meeting.

Bondurant said the council could just appoint somebody to the position and at Councilwoman Lillian Dean's request he reached out to former town employee Lajuna Reid who he said told him she was not interested.

He said he then decided to advertise for the position in the Tri-City Ledger. The job opening announcement can be found on Page 7A inside today's Ledger. Applications will be taken until 4 p.m. Monday, May 20, and interviews will be held Wednesday, May 22.

Bondurant told the council that current employee Jamie Young said she was going to apply.

“I felt it was better that none of us were in the interview,” Mayor Bondurant said. “So I asked Robert Hudson and J.R. Jones to do the interviews if that's OK.”

“I don't think that's OK,” Dean said. “One of us or two of us should be in that interview. Neither one of them works for the town. Because it's the town of Flomaton, one or two of us and the mayor should be in on the interview.”

“Not only do I disagree with it, I think we should all be here,” said Councilman Buster Crapps. “We are the ones who were elected by the people. We have no say-so over that employee once they are hired. That's up to the mayor. So if it kicks back, it doesn't need to be one council member or two council members it needs to be all the council.”

Dean asked why all the council members couldn't be in on the interviews.

“If it goes haywire you don't have to blame the mayor or one or two council members, you blame the entire council,” Crapps said.

Councilman Charlie Reardon said it's up to the council to approve or disapprove the new town clerk.

Bondurant said it's the mayor's responsibility to make an appointment and it's the council's responsibility to either approve or disapprove.

“When I have no say so, I have no control,” Crapps said. “Why should I put my neck on the line? If the mayor has all the control why should I even be here? The council's over the money, we have no say-so over employees what so ever.”

Bondurant said he was afraid that if the entire council was in on the interview it would be intimidating to the applicants.

“J.R. and Robert have more experience in interviewing than anybody in this room, with the exception of me,” Bondurant said.

“But they are not voted on by the people,” Crapps said. “You hire them, you fire them, that's the rules. I have no say-so over employees.”

Crapps said he wanted the people to know they shouldn't come to him complaining about an employee because he has no say over what an employee does or doesn't do.

“I want to make that crystal clear o the people in Flomaton, Alabama, by law,” Crapps said. “See your mayor, he's in charge of the day-to-day operations.”

Dewey asked the council to meet him halfway and let Jones, Hudson and Adkinson conduct the interviews.

“Roger or all of us,” Crapps said. “I'm just as good as Roger Adkinson. I was voted in just like he was.”

“I don't understand two people who are not part of the council,” Dean said. “I don't fathom the reason why.”

“Let you, Robert and J.R. do it,” Crapps told the mayor. “We have no authority over it to start with.”

“I know we don't have any authority but we're looking outside to hire somebody for us,” Dean said.

Reardon reminded the council that anybody they recommend still has to be voted on by the council.

Dean asked how the council would know who was the right person for the job if they weren't involved in the interviews.

“There's nobody in this room that has the accounting experience we need,” Bondurant said. “Robert and J.R. know accounting.”

Dean said if that person was going to work for Hudson or Jones that would be fine, but the person will be working for the town.

“You're telling us that the council doesn't know anything about bookkeeping and we're supposed to be over the money?” Crapps asked.

Bondurant noted that Carter was interviewed but was promoted from within and approved by the council.

Adkinson quoted the law that says the power rests with the mayor and it's his responsibility to bring a name before the council.

“We're not talking about an appointment, we're talking about interviewing,” Dean said. “That's what we're talking about.”

Bondurant asked for a motion to allow him, Hudson and Jones to conduct the interviews.

Adkinson said he didn't need a motion because it's up to the mayor to decide who he will bring before the council.

“You have to work with them every day, not me,” Crapps said.

Adkinson told the council that when the mayor brings a person before the council for a vote, council members can ask any questions they want.

“That would be so wrong,” Dean said. “They've already been interviewed and now we're going to go over it again.”

Bondurant, Hudson and Jones will do the interviews and the mayor will bring a name back for council approval at the next meeting.