Bill Griffin's a Hero? Who Knew?

 

Our Florence Detective is once again exposing some oddities of the Florence City Council. While we feel Brad Holmes is the best choice for Lauderdale EMA Director, we agree with the FD that, considering the importance of the job, the position should have been posted.

From the Florence Detective (flodetective@gmail.com):

Chat GPT on Microsoft has the following information about Brad Holmes:

Brad Holmes, a distinguished figure in Florence, Alabama, has made significant contributions to the community. Here are some of his notable achievements:

1. Police Captain:

• Brad Holmes serves as a Police Captain at the Florence Police Department. His leadership and commitment have positively impacted law enforcement in the area.

2. FBI National Academy Graduate:

• Brad successfully completed the 286th session of the FBI National Academy. This prestigious program equips law enforcement professionals with advanced skills and knowledge, enhancing their ability to serve and protect the community.

3. Local Ties and Education:

• As a lifelong resident of the Shoals area, Brad has deep roots in the community.

• He graduated from the University of North Alabama, majoring in Business Management.

• Currently, he manages family business holdings and real estate in downtown Florence at Anderson & Anderson, LLC.

Brad Holmes’s dedication to public service and his impact on the safety and well-being of Florence residents are commendable.

*****

In addition to these many accomplishments, Mr. Holmes has recently been nominated to fill the position of EMA director left open when George Grabryan retired. This was the item on the consent agenda for the 03/05/2024 meeting of the Florence city council: 

(u) Resolution to approve the appointment of Captain Brad Holmes as Director of Emergency Management and Emergency 911 Operations, and the EMA/ 911 Director Services Agreement, sponsored by Bill Musgrove. Given Mr. Holmes experience, his qualification for this position is beyond question. This was the first point Councilmen Bill Griffin made when he objected to this agenda item. He went on to state that what concerned him was the job was not posted as a job opening.

It became apparent that Bill’s position was not agreeable with the rest of the council. Particularly Dick Jordan. I could not help but think: the man who saw to it that his wife and son were positioned into cushy city jobs with good salaries and benefits had the nerve to defend an appointed position? Just “choose” someone rather than it being posted so all who wished to apply in the city of Florence had the opportunity. 

And, for some reason, questioning the way this position was to be filled seemed to also rub Jimmy Oliver the wrong way. He made a point in his remarks to say that the council was doing nothing illegal by appointing Holmes to the position, although Mr. Griffin never accused anyone of illegality. Only a form of nepotism. “Good ol' boy” practices on display! And when put to a vote; Mr. Griffin was the lone "no" vote on the agenda item to appoint Brad Holmes EMA director.

Bill Griffin was the hero of this meeting. He pointed out another case of favoritism in the city of Florence hiring practices. Fortunately, with this choice, the city did get it right. Brad Holmes is very qualified to be the director of EMA. But since this position will now be under the city payroll system it should have been posted for other candidates to apply like any other city job. Bill Griffin stated it was not the choice of candidate that bothered him, it was the way he was chosen. This reporter gives kudos to Bill Griffin and thanks him for pointing out another shady hiring decision by this council.