Board nixes request to shift hire/fire authority

Fort Smith City Administrator Dennis Kelly’s request to change the city’s hire/fire authority is officially dead.

Presently, city code places the decision to hire and fire city department heads with the Fort Smith Board of Directors. But past practice has shown an inconsistency in following the code. Kelly first publicly presented his request to shift the hire/fire authority to the city administrator post during a May 12 study session. Kelly formally pushed the request in his “Organization Analysis” released July 10.

“The city administrator’s position is such that (the current hire/fire policies) are extraordinarily antiquated and cumbersome and do not lend themselves to efficiency of operations within the organization,” Kelly noted in the opening memo of the Organization Analysis. “Therefore, the city administrator stands by his original position strongly recommending that Option B, the recommended amendment, be adopted for inclusion in the city code in lieu of (present policy).”

That request drew much criticism, and eventually five of the seven city directors said they were opposed to the shift.

At Tuesday’s (Aug. 25) 2010 budget study session, the consensus of the board was to maintain the process in the city code.

“Let’s stick with the code,” Director Kevin Settle said. The consensus drew no opposition from Directors Gary Campbell and Cole Goodman, the only directors to have voiced support for the authority change.

Interviewed after the meeting, Kelly said he will not push the issue further, noting that it was his intention to let the directors know of the past inconsistencies with hiring and firing, and to suggest an alternative.

“That’s not the way they want to go,” Kelly said about his alternative to shift the authority to the city administrator.