Police top list for new Ferriday mayor

By Vershal Hogan (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Monday, May 5, 2008

VIDALIA — With fewer than 60 days to go until he takes officer, Ferriday mayor-elect Glen McGlothin said his first order of business will be hiring a police chief.

“During the election, the police department seemed to be one of the biggest concerns of the voters,” McGlothin said.

So far, he has received four applications for the chief position, and is waiting to release their names because two others have expressed interest in the job, McGlothin said.

“I’m just taking my time because I want to be careful and choose the person I think is best for the job,” McGlothin said. “The decision I make is the decision I am going to stick with.”

McGlothin said he is looking for a chief who is both qualified and will have as wide an appeal as possible.

“In the back of your mind, you wonder if you’re going to please everybody, but I know I can’t,” he said.

But police chief isn’t the only position for which McGlothin is taking applications, he said.

“I have 150 applications for jobs in every department, all the way across the board,” he said.

For the most part, the people already in place will remain in town jobs, he said.

“I’m not going to go in there and fire everybody,” McGlothin said.

After hiring a chief, looking for grants to finish downtown projects such as the new fire station, the proposed pavilion and landscaping projects will be a priority, he said.

“We have to get the downtown area more attractive so people will want to move in downtown,” McGlothin said. “We lost Wal-Mart, so we have to find new ways to make up that (sales tax) money.”

McGlothin will take office in July. He has experience in the office, serving as mayor four years ago before current mayor Gene Allen was elected.