Letter to the editor — April 17, 2014

Dear editor,
With the flood of questions on my recent vote, I wish to clarify a few points. I normally shy away from issues once a vote has been cast, but here I cast a vote for symbolic purposes. 
At last Monday’s council meeting, I cast a vote of no to the appointment of Tim Thyer.  This was not a vote against Fire Chief Thyer; in fact, I fully support and believe he will do an excellent job as chief.  
My vote lay in the need for transparency and out of respect for deliberations. Interviews for chief occurred two weeks earlier and the committee to select the new chief involved several members of the city staff, administration, and three council members. Only three council members were present at the interviews and all three members who were present, plus one additional, wished the entire council to hear the top two candidates, so they might make a fully informed decision. 
The council rejected the request by a four to four vote with the mayor casting a tie breaker. Ethically, I did not feel I could vote for a candidate when the council had not heard all of its options. While I firmly believe the end results more than likely would have been the same, I also firmly stand by a decision to cast a no vote. This is a council which debated a chicken ordinance for over six weeks, heard concerns from citizens both pros and cons, and this is also a council which debated EMS director pay for over three months; an additional two weeks would not have disrupted city business or the fire/EMS department.
Here we had four members of the council requesting more information, so that more than three members of the council could say with first-hand knowledge that we picked the best candidate for the job.  Out of principle, I cannot support the council when it makes decisions without fully deliberating them.  With that said, and as one of the three members of the council who was present at the interviews, I wish to congratulate Chief Thyer; it is in my opinion he is the best candidate for the job, but I am just one of eight people who need to create  an informed opinion.   
Jon Wells, councilman,
Iola, Kan.