North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield on Friday said he’d like 30 days from the time Mayor-elect Paul Winfield takes office to conduct a thorough review of all personnel appointments, including the police chief, before any changes are put to a final vote.   

“I’m going to ask Mr. Winfield and Mr. (Sid) Beauman to reappoint everybody at the first meeting, and ask for a 30-day window for us to sit down as a board and do a proper assessment and evaluation of every department head,” Mayfield said. “I don’t think doing it any other way would be fair to these employees.”

The city charter calls on the three-person Board of Mayor and Aldermen to “elect” a slate of city corporate officers at the outset of each new term. The mayor’s vote, as in all matters, counts the same as an alderman’s in the selection of a police chief, fire chief, city attorney, sexton, clerk and judge. It is not uncommon for the appointments to be made at the board’s first meeting, but it is not required.

Although it was not a part of his original platform, replacing Police Chief Tommy Moffett quickly became a hot-button issue among voters after Winfield said he would support a change of leadership during the primary campaign. Winfield, who unseated two-term Mayor Laurence Leyens in the June 2 election, said he’s willing to further discuss the idea of a 30-day moratorium on appointments with Mayfield and Beauman, the south ward alderman. However, he added he doesn’t need any more time to evaluate Moffett’s performance.

“I’m open to listening to everyone who’s at the table, but I’ve already done my research and made up my mind on the chief. I intend to vote for a change on day one,” Winfield said.

Winfield said he’s received about eight resumés from mostly local candidates for the top police post. He’s got a short list of the best ones in mind, but did not reveal any of the candidates’ names.

Winfield and the aldermen will be inaugurated on July 3, and the new board’s first meeting is scheduled for July 7. Leyens will preside over his last meeting Thursday. Leyens hired Moffett in October 2001, a few months after taking office during his first term, and supported him throughout his failed bid for a third term.

Moffett said Friday he would welcome the opportunity to meet with the mayor-elect and aldermen to discuss his performance over the past seven-plus years and his vision for the police department’s future.

“I have not had an opportunity, or been invited, to sit down with Mr. Winfield and discuss the department, but I would certainly welcome the opportunity to talk to him and the aldermen about where this department was before I got here, where it is now and where it’s going,” he said. “I’ve been police chief for 7 1/2 years, I’ve worked hard for 7 1/2 years, and I’m going to continue to work hard and do my job until the day I am not the police chief.”

Mayfield and Winfield spoke briefly about the possibility of a 30-day moratorium Thursday afternoon, but Winfield said the two came to no absolute agreement on the issue. Mayfield said it’s imperative the new board discusses it first thing this week.

“People’s jobs are hanging in the balance, and I think they deserve to know what this board intends to do and when they intend to do it,” Mayfield said. 

Beauman, who enters his third term, has voted in support of Moffett as chief in 2001 and 2005. He said before and after the general election that he will continue to support Moffett. Beauman has been attending to a family emergency over the past week, and could not be reached for additional comment Friday.

Mayfield said he knows he’ll likely have to cast the swing vote in determining Moffett’s future — a responsibility he said he isn’t taking lightly.

“To me, it’s the biggest decision we have to make right now, because the police chief can make or break a community,” he said. “Without a doubt, I know I’m going to be the swing vote, and I intend to do what’s right for this community.” 

Entering his second term, Mayfield voted in support of Moffett four years ago, and said he’s had a good working relationship with him since. He’s been conducting an informal survey of residents by phone and in person to gauge their feelings about the police department since the general election, and said he’s troubled by some of the comments.

“Right now, the majority of people who I’m talking to don’t feel confident in the police chief, and that concerns me deeply,” Mayfield said. “Now, it also bothers me that I’m getting a high number of calls from people who want the chief removed and are making personal attacks on him because they’ve gotten a traffic ticket. I can’t in good conscience take this man’s job because you got a speeding ticket and it cost you $100. That’s not good judgement.”

Mayfield said another concern is the large number of residents telling him they believe the city court has become profit driven — a claim Winfield repeatedly made during his campaign. While public sentiment will weigh in his final decision, Mayfield said he’s determined to make the right choice based on facts, which he hopes Moffett will be allowed to lay out to the board in person, regardless of its popularity.

“I’m not going to let this survey mandate my decision one way or the other. I am always … going to vote for what I think is going to be the best thing for this community, no matter what anybody else says or thinks,” he said. “Right now, I don’t have enough information to say I’m going to vote for or against the chief. We need to go through every aspect of this issue with a fine-tooth comb to make sure we make the right decision.”

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com