Willis Thompson and Michael Mayfield, the ball is now in your court.

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. has authored a compromise on the supervision of the city’s nine divisions and sent you each a copy. Now it’s your turn to decide whether you have the courage of your convictions and are willing to agree with it and move on.

The mayor on Nov. 16 presented a resolution placing certain city divisions under him and the aldermen as a way to improve accountability and oversight under the city’s commission-style government, which distributes governmental authority equally under the mayor and aldermen.

Under the resolution, which was not voted on, Flaggs designated the fire and police departments, city attorney and the finance and administration divisions — which include the city clerk and accounting director — under his direct supervision. Mayfield was placed over public works and community development, and Thompson, information technology, recreation and human resources.

“What I simply want to do is to be in a position where we can create more responsibility and oversight because I’m of the opinion we waste a lot of money with not having anybody to oversee the day to day operations of the divisions,” Flaggs said. “All I did was take the organizational chart we’ve got and gave supervision to it.”

Thompson opposed the resolution, saying he believes the offices of city attorney and city clerk should answer to the board.

“The legal department and the clerk should report to everybody because of the nature of their jobs,” he said. “In the legal matters, we all need to updated on everything. We need to know what’s going on.”

He also believes the fire department should be under him, because it has traditionally been under the South Ward alderman and because of the apparent poor relationship between Flaggs and Fire Chief Charles Atkins.

The mayor’s new resolution gives Thompson his wish.

Under the proposal, the city attorney, city clerk and the human resources department will answer to the board with the police and finance departments under the mayor’s supervision. Public works and community development will be under Mayfield’s supervision, and Thompson will be over the fire, information technology and recreation departments.

A copy of this new plan, with Flaggs’ signature, was sent Nov. 23 to each alderman with a place for their signatures, indicating they agree with the proposal. Flaggs said Wednesday he’s waiting.

Both Thompson and Mayfield have criticized the mayor’s previous plans to reform government, accusing him of trying pull off a “power play” to take over full control of city government, when the proposed changes were in fact attempts to put some accountability and oversight in a form of government that is outdated and void of any semblance of true responsibility to the taxpayers. Where three people have identical powers and where two members, for better or worse, can control city government.

Politics, according to the old saying, is supposed to be the art of compromise. By introducing this compromise, Flaggs has practiced what he preaches, that no one is bigger than the city.

Now it’s up to our two aldermen to prove they feel the same way.

As the gamblers say, “Put up or shut up.”

Either accept the mayor’s compromise or quit complaining. Let’s see where your values truly lie.

Are you bigger than the city?