Following a nearly 90-minute executive session Friday characterized by raised voices and one councilman storming out of the meeting, the city council voted 3-2 to hire Charles Yarbrough as the next fire chief.
The council had narrowed the search to two candidates ahead of Friday’s special-call meeting, with Yarbrough, former Starkville fire chief, and Alan Lewis, the current training officer for Columbus Fire and Rescue, as the final contenders.
During the executive session, tensions escalated as council members debated hiring an external candidate over an internal one.
Voices were loud enough to be heard outside of the City Hall boardroom, and at one point, Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene warned that hiring from outside could lead to a “mass exodus” of CFR employees.
After a few more minutes of debate, Green told the rest of the board, “Y’all can have it” before storming out of the meeting. He declined to speak to The Dispatch at the time and did not respond by phone to a request for comment by press time.
After the executive session, Ward 6 Councilman Jason Spears moved to hire Lewis for the job, which drew a second from Lavonne Harris, who represents Ward 4. Vice Mayor Ethel Stewart, who represents Ward 1, raised a substitute motion to instead hire Yarbrough, drawing a second from Ward 2 Councilman Roderick Smith.
That motion ended in a 3-2 vote, with Ward 5 Councilman Gary Jefferson joining the majority. Spears and Harris voted against hiring Yarbrough.
While leaving City Hall, Harris indicated she was upset with how the process was handled.
“Because it ain’t right,” she told The Dispatch when asked about why the meeting was so contentious. “None of it.”
Spears attributed the contention to high passions on the matter. He said his vote was based on his belief that CFR would be best served by someone who already knows the lay of the land, noting that the department is unique in its operations.
“I just felt that (Lewis) understands the nuances of how the department runs,” he said. “I felt like he communicated those different details well.”
Spears said he intends to support the decision and the new chief. Yarbrough worked for Starkville Fire Department for nearly three decades, spending the last 10 years as chief before he retired in 2025.
“I think that he’s proven himself in the fire service to do a good job or capable of doing a good job,” Spears said. “I think as long as he commits that to the existing staff that’s here, of building them so that there is this ongoing success inside the departmen t… time will tell.”
Jefferson said his rationale in voting to hire Yarbrough came down to selecting the most qualified candidate after the council opted to search for both internal and external applicants.
“I felt that he was the most qualified between the two that we had,” he said. “… I figured that if we knew that we didn’t want to (hire from) the outside, we shouldn’t never open the door. Once we opened the door, then I felt like I had to vote for who I thought was the most qualified person.”
Jefferson believes the executive session got heated after he asked fellow council members why they voted to accept external applications if some were unwilling to consider them.
“There wasn’t anyone able to answer that question,” he said. “… Somebody didn’t want to answer that question that I asked, so best just to walk out and leave and I won’t have to answer.”
In regards to Greene’s concern of a “mass exodus” from the fire department sparked by an external hire, Jefferson said he considered that possibility before voting.
“I know that people on the inside can get very upset,” he said. “But do I vote in fear, or do I vote in what I think is right? I don’t want nobody to leave, don’t get me wrong, and I know that it’ll be a very bad thing if everybody was to just walk out … but then you’re operating in fear, not in good judgement.”
Yarbrough ‘scored’ higher
Noting that he would have been happy with either candidate, Mayor Stephen Jones defended the city’s hiring process. He said there is a set process used for evaluating which candidates are most qualified.
“In that process that we do then, we have a grading system during the interviews,” Jones told The Dispatch after the meeting. “We grade them, and whichever one gets the highest, that’s who we normally go with. … Even after we did the scores, people voted how they wanted to vote for who they thought they should choose.”
Jones said the contentious situation likely could have been avoided had there been a succession plan to replace Fire Chief Duane Hughes, who is set to retire April 16.
CFR has been without an assistant chief since Hughes was promoted to chief in 2022. Hughes previously told The Dispatch he opted to forgo hiring an assistant chief due to the political climate under the previous city administration, later asking the current administration to consider adding the position with no success.
Jones previously refuted Hughes’ claim and said no such request was made. He said the decision not to have an assistant chief was ultimately an obstruction to the hiring process.
“Would I rather have a succession plan?” Jones said. “Yes, and hopefully this is what we’ll build on, having a true succession plan so we won’t be put in this situation again.”
When reached by The Dispatch on Friday, Yarbrough declined to comment until he spoke with city officials, though he called back shortly after press time.
After spending the last year in retirement, Yarbrough said he missed the fire service and felt like he “still has something to give,” leading him to apply for the CFR position.
“I’m honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve,” he said. “After some time away, I’m energized to return to leadership, along with a talented team, to build a strong foundation for the city of Columbus and the citizens.”
Yarbrough said he plans to “hit the ground running,” with hiring an assistant chief and “uniting the department” at the top of his priority list.
“Not that there’s anything going on with the department, but I’m from the outside,” he said. “So me coming in, even though I know a lot of the guys over there, I have never … been their chief. So I think the first thing will be just to come in and let them know me and get the chance to know them as well.”
Other positions
Also during the executive session Friday, the council voted 5-0 to extend an offer to a candidate for the human resources director role at a salary range of $75,000 to $82,000. The name of the intended hire was not released pending salary negotiations.
The hire will replace Patt Mitchell, who retires in June after 40 years with the city. In her role as it currently functions, Mitchell also assumes the responsibilities of deputy clerk. Jones told The Dispatch the city will still need to decide which specific duties will be included in the role.
The board also voted to readvertise for a court administrator, adjusting the salary from $55,000 to $80,000. The city originally aimed to have a candidate hired by April 1, but the motion approved Friday will extend the advertisement through May 31 in hopes of widening the candidate pool.
Jones told The Dispatch he’s “not at all worried” about delaying that hire to search for stronger candidates.
“We just want to get it right. It’s a very important part of the city,” he said. “A lot of money goes through there. People can be arrested if it’s not done right. It’s a very, very important role of the city, and I just want to make sure that we’re getting it right.”
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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