Two Good Moves

It looks like our new mayor can make a decision, after all, and he made two very good ones yesterday. After only a week in office, Lioneld Jordan is already making changes. So far they involve organizational structure and staffing, so we will have to wait to see if those produce results in addition to the cost savings.

Don Marr was named the mayor's chief of staff, and that is great news for Fayetteville. His background in business and local government is an excellent fit for the position, and he already has a good working relationship with Jordan. More importantly, he has the trust of the mayor. As an added bonus for the city budget, Marr's salary will be several thousand dollars less than that of Gary Dumas, the tired bureaucrat who had fewer responsibilities and was running his own policy operation without consulting the mayor and city council, the paid parking lot scheme being just the latest example among many.

Jordan also moved to make Greg Tabor the Acting Police Chief, an executive action that assures the continued attention to public safety and does so without the special contract that a former mayor had signed without City Council approval or even notice. The Chief has the full support of the new mayor, and apparently the issue was resolved to everyone's satisfaction without having to spend an additional $105,000 to fill the position with an outside candidate.

The opposition during the recent campaign said there would be a change in direction at City Hall if Jordan were elected. It looks like they were right.