Bridgeport has an assistant city manager in Jimmy Smith. The city also has a number two at the police department in Deputy Chief Randy Hartley. There’s also a number two at Bridgeport Parks and Recreation in Deputy Director Joe Shuttleworth.

 

Now, City Manager Kim Haws said there’s some discussion on having an assistant fire chief. While that may not seem like much of an issue, the current matter in which that could happen is, Haws said is.

 

“We could actually move forward with the process to have an assistant fire chief right now, but it would fall under the current civil service rules,” said Haws.

 

So why is that a problem?

 

“Several years ago, the West Virginia Legislature approved the hiring of an assistant police chief that was outside the rules of Civil Service. What that means is that the hiring a city would do for an assistant police chief doesn’t have to be solely based on testing. If a city opts to do the same for a fire chief, they have to go through Civil Service and it’s based solely on test,” Haws said.

 

And that, he said, is the problem.

 

“While we would include testing if we opted to move forward with this, we wouldn’t do it exclusively through testing based on preliminary talks where there doesn’t seem to be much favor in that method,” said Haws. “There are a number of reasons for that.”

 

Haws said that under the current method, there is no credit given for management experience, management skills and other intangible capabilities. And the biggest thing, he said, is that a person in such a high level of responsibility has to have people skills that simply can’t be accurately tested.

 

“Being personable and being able to motivate is critical in a position of that nature,” said Haws. “We would want to be able to determine those things that testing simply can’t determine.”

 

Not wanting to do it in the currently prescribed manner may seem like the ultimate stumbling block. However, Haws said the city is considering including it in an upcoming modification to their existing Home Rule status. Bridgeport, which is one of four cities statewide that has Home Rule status, allows cities to handle business that doesn’t necessarily follow existing state guidelines.

 

“When we submit our next application, which is something we can submit anytime, it’s something we’re seriously going to consider. We would like to do it in the same manner that the Legislature prescribed for an assistant police chief,” said Haws.

 

When that happens is unknown. However, it won’t happen immediately. Haws said with the Home Rule process being expanded to include more than a dozen new cities and the process currently underway evaluating numerous city’s applications to get in, he said it would be best to wait until that is over.

 

“I don’t think it’s fair to interrupt that process that’s important to other cities to address this. This can wait,” said Haws. “At the same time, I believe we need an assistant chief. That person will be someone that tests well, knows fire service and is someone that can manage and motivate. I can’t tell you how important it is to have someone the staff looks up to as a motivator in that position.”

 

If the city does move forward and request the exception through Home Rule, there’s a possibility the Home Rule committee that has to sign off on requests will shoot it down. If it does, the whole matter will become a moot point. Haws said that, at a minimum, he thinks if the city submits for the exception that it will get serious discussion and review.

 

“I don’t think we’re doing a reach here because police throughout the state were given the same right by the Legislature,” said Haws. “It’s not exactly new ground, but it’s very familiar territory. I guess we’ll see what happens if we move forward, which is very possible.”