The Salisbury City Council gave the current acting fire chief an extension through the end of the month during an emergency council session yesterday.
But the Council majority said that Mayor Jim Ireton must show progress toward choosing a permanent replacement.
The council rejected Ireton’s previous nomination of Rick Hoppes to permanently succeed Jeff Simpson.
In January of 2012 Hoppes was appointed to serve as fire chief for six months or until a successor could be found.
His appointment was renewed last July and according to the city attorney Ricthat legally ended January 21st.
The Salisbury Daily Times reports that the city hiring rules do not define the expiration for appointments and the council did not specify one at the time.
The council majority charges that Ireton hid a communication from State Attorney General Doug Gansler that deferred to the city attorney’s opinion.
Council Vice President Debbie Campbell and Council member Tim Spies alleged that the Mayor hid the communication by Gansler from the council.
Ireton, who did not attend last night’s meeting, told the paper that the council had not always been forthcoming with him.
And Council member Laura Mitchell criticized the majority saying that the emergency meeting was part of a pattern of preventing the public from participating in certain meetings.
All of this comes as Ireton faces re-election in April.
