An internal search for the next Troy Fire Chief begins today.

The Troy City Council voted on Tuesday to post the opening within the department. Qualified personnel have until Dec. 16 to apply.

“We hope to conduct interviews on Dec. 17,” Mayor Jason Reeves said.

The decision to post the opening was not without controversy, as District 5 Councilwoman Dejerilyn King Henderson questioned the qualifications during the council’s work session, prompting the group to go into executive session to discuss the issue.

She abstained from the vote to approve the job description during the regular meeting, saying the description “as presented is not as inclusive of all those persons within the fire department.”

The multiple-page job description includes, among other items, a requirement that applications “have all certifications as required of Firefighter, Sergeant, Fire Lieutenant, and Fire Captain, including EMT-Basic.”

Henderson said the requirements limit the qualified applicants. “If you’re going to hire from within, this should be all-inclusive … and this excludes people, not includes them,” she said.

Council President Johnny Witherington said the job description as written was based on current industry standards and came with the recommendation of legal counsel. “This job description is based on the recommendation of current standards and approved by counsel,” he said. “It is not exclusive and is certainly not designed to be that way.”

The remaining council members all voted to approve the job description.

In other business on Tuesday, the council:

• Gave Reeves authority to review requests for proposals from power supply companies. The city sought proposals for companies interested in providing the power to Troy Utilities once the current contract expires in 2018. “We have received several RFPs that we will review and hopefully I will come back at the next meeting with a contract for you to review,” Reeves said.

Henderson said she hoped the city would be able to keep utility rates at or below existing levels with the new contract negotiations as “there are many people who are struggle to make ends meet and pay their utility bills.”

“I can assure you that I am going to do everything I can to get us the absolute best deal I can for our people, as I do every time,” Reeves said.

• Awarded the bids for two new utility vehicles to Ken Cox Ford of Troy. Bids included a new SUV for $33.371.85 and a new truck for $29,215.80.

• Approved the reappointments of Perry Green and Dax Pugh to the Board of Adjustments for a term ending Nov. 23, 2018.

• Approved the reappointment of Judy Bazzell to the Charles Henderson Medical Clinic for a five-year term ending Dec. 11, 2020.

• Approved the reappointment of Dave Bush to the Troy Public Education Building Authority to a six-year term ending Nov. 9, 2021.

• Approved the reappointment Jimmy Floyd, Scherryl Harrison and Larry Hancock to the Industrial Development Board for six-year terms ending Dec. 7, 2021, and the appointment of David Helms to the same term, replacing longtime ID board member Hank Jones who recently passed away.