The Monroe City Council voted 3-2 Tuesday night to reject Mayor Friday Ellis’s nomination of Captain Daniel Overturf as the city’s new fire chief, highlighting ongoing tensions between the administration and council members over diversity in city leadership.
The rejection came just one day after Mayor Ellis had presented Overturf at a news conference as the new chief, despite prior warnings from council members about concerns over representation in city leadership. Council members had previously advised Ellis that with Monroe’s population being 60% minority and the city already having a white police chief, he should strongly consider a minority candidate for the position.
Records show Overturf ranked tenth among 17 qualified applicants, with nine candidates ahead of him possessing more extensive training, higher education, and longer experience in the field. Overturf, a Navy veteran who currently serves as Captain of Rescue crew 2 supervising three people, holds a high school diploma. All five African-American applicants reportedly had more education, experience, and training than the mayor’s nominee.
Hours before the Tuesday’s meeting, District 5 councilman Verbon Muhammad received a threatening phone call from a white resident warning him that “there will be consequences” if he did not vote for Overturf’s confirmation.
Muhammad told the Free Press “Nobody threatens me into doing anything.” He said he immediately went to city hall and demanded to see the mayor who he blamed for inciting the public by announcing that Overturf would be the chief, knowing that he didn’t have the votes.
Muhammad said he told the mayor that Overturf was a fine man, but he was not the best qualified of the applicants and was even close to the top.
Muhammad said Jimmy Bryant, the city’s CEO, told brushed aside Overturf’s low ranking among the applicants and said, “sometimes you have to go with your gut.”
Muhammad said even if he was considering voting for Overturf, which was not, the threatening phone call would have been a deal breaker.
During Tuesday’s council meeting, numerous white residents supported Overturf, praising his heroism and interpersonal skills, though none claimed he was the most qualified candidate. Council members Doug Harvey and Gretchen Ezernak voted in favor of the nomination.
“It wasn’t a matter of qualifications, if so, then the nine in front of Captain Overturf were more qualified,” one council member told the Free Press.
After the meeting mayor Ellis posted on Facebook that an anonymous survey of fire fighters revealed that 85% supported Overturf’s nomination.
Even though there were nine other applicants more qualified than Overturf, the mayor posted on
Facebook that “their decision jeopardizes the safety of our entire community- our home, small businesses, churches, nursing homes, schools and more. The overwhelming majority of Monroe values progress over petty politics. It’s disappointing that this small group of council members continues to prioritize control over the well being and security of the city they were elected to serve.”
Muhammad said the “small group” of council members he refers to represents the majority of the city council and the majority of the residents of the city of Monroe.
The rejection highlights growing tensions between Mayor Ellis and the council’s Black members. Ellis has previously vetoed their ordinances and faced criticism for not engaging with issues considered crucial to South Monroe.
In response, the council has begun leveraging its confirmation and budgetary powers to press for greater consideration of their concerns.
The mayor briefly left the meeting after the vote before returning.
The mayor can now submit a new nominee for the position of fire chief from the remaining 16 applicants, the top ten of whom are all more qualified than his last nominee.
The council members still want a minority fire chief.
