By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

The Bonney Lake City Council and mayor continue on the path of change in the organization and administration of the city.

At the Feb. 28 council meeting, council members voted to exempt the chief of police position from the police department's civil service system. The position previously has been included.

In the mid-1980s the state Legislature re-wrote the law allowing cities to remove both their police and fire chiefs from the system.

When Police Chief Don Frazier retired in 2000, the council approved removing the position from civil service. However, Bryan Jeter, who was chosen to succeed Frazier, insisted the position stay in the civil service system.

Jeter was chief until December 2004. After a series of disputes with former Mayor Bob Young, Jeter took a position as the commander of patrol forces with the Puyallup Police Department.

The only employees in Bonney Lake in the civil service system are the police officers. The system governs the hiring, work rules and discipline of officers.

The three-member Civil Service Commission is responsible for testing prospective police officers and investigating disciplinary actions.

Employees and department heads covered by civil service are not subject to being fired by the administration or mayor.

Ordinance 1121 that removed the chief from civil service passed 5-2, with council members Mark Hamilton and Dave King dissenting.

Hamilton served for 12 year on the commission beginning in 1993.

&#8220Most mayors and city councils want complete control of the department heads, including the police chief,” Hamilton said. &#8220But I have always considered the police chief and fire chief to be a special position. I think a police chief needs to be able to say no to a mayor without pressure.”

Hamilton said he believed Jeter &#8220would have been fired by Mayor Bob if he had not been in the civil service. Bryan was able to say no to the mayor because he was part of civil service.”

Hamilton said the he believes the council is changing the position because members trust Neil Johnson.

&#8220Everyone trusts and likes Neil,” Hamilton said. &#8220I like Neil; he's a great guy, but someday he won't be mayor.”

Johnson said he does not have a &#8220preference either way. The council wanted the chief to be like any other department head.”

The mayor said since the position was removed from civil service, a five-member panel will be formed to hire a chief on a permanent basis to replace Jeter.

Buster McGehee has acted as the interim chief since Jeter left.

Johnson said he hopes and expects McGehee to apply for the job on a permanent basis.

&#8220He's done a great job,” Johnson said.

The mayor said he expects the panel to be made up of two police officers, two council members and a representative from the administration.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.