Search for new fire chief on hold

Yearwood said he is trying to get the budget situation under control and does not know when the search for a permanent chief will resume. Barrow County has been without a permanent fire chief since Mark Melvin resigned in October of 2009. Melvin left Barrow County Emergency Services after less than seven months on the job.

Concerns about the effects of salary reductions and reductions in force reportedly prompted Melvin’s departure.

Melvin’s predecessor, Robert Post, served only 18 months before resigning after an unpaid suspension and a dispute with the county commission over budget cuts.

Battalion chief John Skinner served as acting chief until Towne was hired in June. Towne held the position for 18 days before being arrested on July 9 by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on felony theft charges.

Since Towne’s arrest, Skinner has once again been filling the role of acting chief. Skinner said he met with Yearwood and Barrow County commissioner Larry Joe Wilburn last week regarding the decision to temporarily suspend the search for a new chief.

Skinner agreed to continue in his role as acting chief after Yearwood said the county could save an estimated $50,000 by not filling the chief’s position immediately.

“Honestly, I don’t see $50,000 in savings,” Skinner said. “I did agree to do it just to get our department moving again.”

Knowing who the chief will be for even a short period will allow Barrow County Emergency Services to plan for the future, Skinner said.

The decision as to whether or not Skinner will eventually become the permanent chief rests with the commission, he added.

“I’m interested in the job, but I’m not going back through the process,” he said. “They know who I am. They know what I bring to the table.”

Skinner said if the board wants him to be chief, they can appoint him to the position.

The Barrow County Board of Commissioners will meet in executive session Wednesday night to discuss personnel and litigation.

Yearwood said he did not know if the fire chief position would be discussed.