Civil servants, in Vicksburg limited to rank and file police and firefighters, are to receive and keep their jobs based solely on their ability to do the work. They are not to be fired, hired, promoted, transferred or anything else based on which candidates they did or didn’t support for elective office. Many think this system was designed to protect the civil servants, make their jobs “safe.” It might have that effect, but the real purpose is to assure the public that qualified people are responding to emergencies and investigating crimes — not merely somebody’s brother’s cousin who helped out at the polls.

The top jobs — the bosses of the civil servants and, in Vicksburg, other municipal employees — are 100 percent political.

People hired to be police chief or fire chief, city attorney, city judge, city clerk or in any number of other positions know going in — or should know — that how well they perform in their professional capacities will have little to nothing to do with whether they are retained when the next administration begins.

In many ways, this mirrors the Cabinet system in federal government. Hillary Clinton might prove to be the best secretary of state the nation has ever had. But when President Barack Obama departs the White House, she will be replaced by the new president. Sometimes presidents keep in the Cabinets appointees of a previous administration. But rarely.

Tuesday, Vicksburg’s new elected leaders have their first business session. The city’s charter directs them to make specific appointments and, by tradition, other top municipal posts are often filled, too.

Much to be admired is that Mayor Paul Winfield has put his cards on the table — listing the nominations he plans to make.

South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman responded that he doesn’t favor any replacements, based on his assessment that all of the incumbents are thoroughly knowledgeable and have performed commendably for the public.

And that leaves North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield as the man in the middle. It’s not a comfortable position, to say the least. Mayfield has worked daily with each of the appointees, and he voted to hire most if not all of them four years ago.

He said he’ll be studying what to do, weighing his options and meeting with each appointee. Doubtless, he feels pulled in two directions. The Civil Service model says performance is the only consideration. The political model says those who’ve done excellent work have no apologies to make when their terms are not renewed.

Any way he goes, Mayfield will be praised by some observers, disdained by others. Even in a small town, public service is no cakewalk.