NATCHEZ — With just two days left before the deadline, eight people have submitted applications to be the next Natchez Police Chief.

Natchez City Clerk Donnie Holloway said two or three more applications are pending and will be added to the previously submitted eight applications before the deadline on Wednesday.

Natchez Interim Police Chief Danny White said Monday his name is among those seeking the job.

Mayor Jake Middleton tentatively scheduled the application deadline for Wednesday when White was appointed on Nov. 8.

Middleton said he is pleased with the number of applications that have been submitted so far, and he said no applications will be taken after Wednesday.

“If (someone) hasn’t applied by then, I don’t think they’re too interested,” Middleton said.

Once all the applications are submitted, the Civil Service Commission will review and interview eligible applicants. The commission is composed of Dante Weir, James Cole and Robert McNeely.

The commission will recommend applicants to the Natchez Board of Aldermen. The aldermen will interview the recommended applicants and hire a chief.

Middleton said he is hoping to have a chief hired by the end of January.

Former chief Mike Mullins has said it was a nine-month process when he was appointed chief in 2002.

Middleton said he does not remember it taking nine months to appoint Mullins, and he said he did not think it would take that long to hire a chief this time.

Dante Weir, chairman of the Civil Service Commission, said the commission could have the approximate 10 applicants interviewed and recommendations made in three weeks.

Weir said that timeframe will depend on the commission members’ and applicants’ schedules, but he believes the process can be completed in three weeks.

“We will do everything in our power to meet the mayor and board of aldermen’s deadline,” Weir said.

The decision to move forward in hiring a new chief came after Middleton considered consolidating the department with the Adams County Sheriff’s Department.

Middleton said when the chief’s position opened up, he went to Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield about exploring the option of consolidating the departments.

Middleton said he talked to Mayfield about overseeing the NPD before it was decided that an interim police chief would be appointed when Mullins was asked to retire.

Mullins announced his retirement in October but was asked by the board of aldermen to retire effective Nov. 14.

Mayfield said he felt he could not devote adequate time to overseeing NPD and said the two departments are run entirely differently.

“My department is a full-time job,” he said. “It really would be stretching me thin. I also know very little about a department that is run under civil service.”

Mayfield said all sheriff’s department employees are hired and fired at the will of the sheriff, unlike the police department.

Mayfield said he believes if the two departments were consolidated, NPD would have to be eliminated and city law enforcement jobs contracted out and operations handled by the sheriff’s department.

“I’m not opposed to consolidation, but it would have to be on different terms,” Mayfield said.

Middleton said consolidation of the departments could possibly come in the future.

“It wasn’t good timing for now, but it is definitely a possibility for the future,” he said.