Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr. said Friday he and his department heads will no longer attend city council meetings, and he will soon ask citizens what they think about reducing the size of the city council.
At the State of the City address at Larry Striplin Performing Arts Center Friday, Perkins said that communication between him and his department heads and the city council will no longer attend city council meetings. He pledged to present the council a list of items to be considered two days before the council’s biweekly work sessions and public meetings.
“The law does not require the mayor to attend city council meetings,” Perkins said. “By law, the mayor must deliver a report to the city council in writing twice a year.” He said providing written items to the council before their regular meetings would be “24 times a year.”
The mayor usually attends the council’s work sessions and meetings, and department heads attend if they have something to present to the council. Some members of the city council have stated in recent meetings that department heads should make themselves available at all council meetings to answer questions.
Perkins said that it was unfair for the council to expect department heads to attend meetings and committee meetings, many of which are after hours. As for himself, Perkins said that city council members have only come to his office to speak to him a few times in the last 19 months they have been in office.
“If you don’t come to my office, I don’t see the need to come to yours,” Perkins said, referring to the council chamber as the council’s workspace.
Perkins also said he will send out a poll to citizens to get their opinion about reducing the size of the council. There are currently nine councilpersons representing wards and a council president elected citywide. Perkins said that the city has lost about 3,000 residents since the 2010 census, and it is his responsibility to “draw new district lines” that reflect the current population.
“Is it time to reduce the number of seats from nine to seven or nine to five (seats)?” Perkins asked rhetorically. He noted that the Selma City School Board serves the city with five board members, and the Dallas County Commission and Dallas County School Board serve the entire county with five members.
Read more in this week’s Selma Sun.
