With the retirement of 22-year mayor Charles L. Hardy Jr. and a reappointment made Monday night, Billy Chandler becomes the second-longest-serving public official in Commerce.
The city council voted 6-0 to reappoint Chandler as municipal court judge, and city attorney John Stell administered the oath of office.
“This is the 12th time,” Chandler told the city council. “I’m starting year 23.”
Only city clerk Shirley Willis, who marked her 23rd anniversary with the city in November, has worked for the city longer as a public official, although several employees have longer tenure.
Chandler is also the judge of the Jackson County Magistrate Court, for which he will seek re-election this year. The municipal court term is for two years.
Also on Monday night, the council reappointed Stell for another one-year term as city attorney.
Otherwise, the agenda item drawing the most commentary during a brief meeting resulted in a 6-0 vote to table a decision on whether to keep or eliminate the $50 permit fee required to replace residential roofs and the inspections that go with it.
Mayor pro tem Keith Burchett has long advocated eliminating the fee, arguing that it is unnecessary and burdensome to residents and roofing contractors.
Ward 5 councilman Johnny Eubanks disagrees, and he made the motion Monday night to table the matter.
“I don’t think we had enough time to research this and talk among ourselves,” Eubanks said. “…If the process is not working, we need to find out why it is not working.” Eubanks also said that a vote Monday night to rescind the fee/inspections amounted to “turning our back on our citizens in favor of contractors.”
Burchett, while voting for the motion to table, did not back down.
“If tabling is what we need to do, fine, but I don’t think it’s going to change anything,” he said. “I’m not going to change my mind. I think in the past citizens have been paying money and not getting anything for it.”
