Erath votes to change the way fire chief is selected

ERATH — In Erath, there’s a city ordinance governing the selection of the fire chief every year; however, for at least the past seven years, the city council and mayor haven’t had any input on the process. However, this is expected to change when they select their next fire chief.
Previously, the selection process for the fire chief in Erath involved the volunteer fire department submitting two names, along with one name from the former volunteer firefighters. The mayor receives three names and selects the best-qualified candidate, which is then presented to the city council for a vote.
However, according to Councilman Jason Connor, who has been on the board for nearly seven years, the council has never voted on the new fire chief. It was always decided by the volunteer firefighters, who did not include the honorary firefighters.
Connor had Bart Broussard, the city attorney of Erath, research the process for selecting the fire chief each year. Broussard discovered that there is an ordinance outlining this process, which the current administration was not adhering to.
Connor informed the council and Mayor Taylor Mencacci of the ordinance. He requested that this administration revert to the previous method of
electing the fire chief, as it was before this administration. 
However, before the council voted, volunteer firefighters addressed the council about maintaining the current process for naming a fire chief each year, rather than reverting to the way the ordinance states it should be.
The volunteers stood up and voiced their concerns about putting the fire chief selection in the hands of the council and mayor instead of the volunteers. They also did not want the honorary volunteer firefighters to have a say in who the next fire chief would be. 
Erath Councilman Mike Menard, who used to be a volunteer fireman himself, reminded the volunteer firemen in the meeting room that the honorary firemen were once in their shoes and should have a say in choosing the new fire chief.
 A volunteer fireman stood up and said, “Do not take our voice away.”
Despite 15 minutes of hearing volunteer firemen’s statements, the council voted 5-0 to begin following the ordinance that is currently on the books regarding the selection of the fire chief in Erath.
In October or November, the volunteer firefighters will submit two names, and the honorary firefighters will submit one name to the mayor. The mayor will then select one name and submit it to the council for a vote.