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Gold Hill cuts police chief list down to four Interviews are scheduled to begin Feb. 2 for those left from the original 15 By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune GOLD HILL - The City Council has narrowed its search for a new police chief from 15 candidates to four. The finalists come from Alaska, Nevada and Oregon. Council member Gloria Eilefson said she was pleased with the high caliber of applicants. "We were pretty impressed with several of them, but anyone can look good on paper. We look forward to actually meeting and interviewing them," she said. Interviews will begin Feb. 2. But applicants will have to pay their own way. "The council kind of felt like, well, if they really want the job, they'll make the effort," said City Recorder Tony Paxton. "The bottom line is, we just don't have the money. What money we have for police is for wages and to get the department started again. Any time we take stuff out, that's less money we have. And they want to meet the applicants face to face to make their decision," Paxton said. The council voted in October to reopen the department - disbanded in September 2000 over liability issues - after an attempt at an operating levy was just 47 ballots shy of passing. Eilefson said by opening the department now, the council hopes voters would see the benefits of having their own department and pass a second attempt at the levy planned for May. "We're going to try and do the best we can to stretch the money as far as it will go, but I don't know if that's going to be far enough. We really need the (levy). People have high expectations, like myself, of what a police department should provide," she said. "You want to feel secure that, when you call for help, something is going to happen. It's really hard to have that kind of coverage with just one person." Salary for a chief, operating costs and materials would come from the $75,000 public safety budget, which has remained untouched since the beginning of the budget cycle when the city terminated contracts with the county sheriff's department, defaulting to emergency protection only. A levy, if approved, would fund a second police officer for $54,000 a year for five years. The city is aiming for a department staffed 24 hours a day by a working chief, one patrol officer and reserves to fill scheduling gaps. In addition to interviews by the council, applicants will be reviewed by a citizens advisory panel and a peer group of chiefs from departments around the valley. Paxton said the council hoped to have background checks completed, an offer made and someone on board by March. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.