Board didn't follow city ordinance

To the editor:

Reference to the article in the Friday, Dec. 3, edition of The Commercial Review headlined “City hires a new officer — Second applicant OK’d if position becomes available,” by Ray Cooney.

“Board members Jerry Leonhard, Steve McIntosh and Portland Mayor John Boggs also agreed to put applicant Brandon Wright on a waiting list in case another position becomes available in the next six months.”

I would think that the board of works and board of public safety would have been familiar with the ordinance of the City of Portland, but by their statement that Ray Cooney stated above as a record of the Friday meeting that the second officer was put on a waiting list. This tells me that they have not a clue of what the recent codification of the code of ordinance states.

I would advise them to go to the City of Portland, Indiana, Code of Ordinances, Title III: Administration, Chapter 31 – Police and Fire Departments, Appendix A: General Rules and Regulations:

Section 2 – Hiring policy, police and fire departments, appeals.

(D) All applications will be destroyed when the position has been filled.

(E) Each applicant will be given a copy of the job description and hiring policy prior to completing the job application.

(J) Applicants for both the Police and Fire Departments will be asked to take an agility test prior to any job offer.

It appears to me that the board of works and board of public safety do not have a copy of the code of ordinances on the desk for them to reference. Why have ordinances if they are not followed; even the home-rule statute does not allow this.

Is this the way our leadership and boards representing the citizens of Portland conduct business, as they see fit, ordinances, rules and statutes do not apply?

Hoping for better government.

Robert E. Moore

Portland