Following the announcement of Betty Reed’s resignation as director from the Yazoo City Housing Authority, Mayor Diane Delaware said she is “concerned” about the process to find her replacement.
Delaware said the news of Reed retiring from the post she has held for three decades was revealed to the city council very suddenly, without much notice to the June 30 effective date.
Reed said she would be working with the Housing Authority’s affiliate, the non-profit Gateway Community Development Corporation.
The subject arose in the recent Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting during its time to appoint members to the Yazoo City Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners.
Delaware said she couldn’t understand why the Housing Authority board would not publicly post the director position’s vacancy in an effort to solicit a variety of candidates. She added that the city of Yazoo City is an Equal Opportunity Employer and regularly posts job opportunities.
“I think it would be good for them (the Housing Authority) to publish their jobs and to seek candidates for that role,” Delaware said. “I can’t imagine them not doing that and not interviewing for this major role.”
Danny Neely, who was appointed to the Housing Authority Board during that same city council meeting, said the housing board “has decided to promote within house.”
“That would be very concerning to us,” Delaware said. “We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we should allow individuals to have the opportunity to be interviewed for that job.”
Neely said he would bring Delaware’s concerns to the Housing Authority Chairman John Meeks.
“The board is trying to promote within house,” Neely repeated to The Yazoo Herald. “If we are not satisfied, then we would open it state-wide.”
Delaware said she plans to speak to the Housing Authority commissioners about the matter.
“We would like to understand why one wouldn’t offer this job out to the public to take on that role,” Delaware said.
Phone calls to Meeks about the position replacement were not returned as of press time.
