Are government positions open to everyone?

AUBURN, AL - At tonight's city council meeting, Auburn citizens questioned whether or not new applicants can actually obtain government positions. Some say that in Auburn they cannot. Robert Wilkins addressed the city council about board and commissions applications. He, along with other citizens, believe that accessibility is too limited.

Wilkins said that current members are almost always re-elected which deters new applicants from applying. 

“A lot of people want to be on these boards but even when they call the city and they are told this one has two people that have been on it only once and they’re not considered at all. They say well don’t apply because this person is going to get a second term,” Wilkins said. 

He also expressed his concerns about the number of terms most board and commission members serve.

“39% of them have four year terms. That means those people run for eight years. There is 39% that has six year terms. That is 12 years. That is over a decade,” Wilkins said. 

“I can’t understand that because I have people say I want to apply. I don’t want to be told I don’t have a chance to be on one of those boards or commissions.”

Mayor Ron Anders Jr. said that the city council has made improvements to the application process.

“In 2018, we completely overhauled the way we do boards and commissions,” he said. “We formally added the application process.” 

Mayor Anders said the application process is the same for everyone. The city council also has the ability to review, confirm, or deny each application that is submitted. 

“Everyone has to fill out an application,“ said Mayor Anders. “All of those applications are received by the city council ahead of this meeting, so each council member can consider all of the individuals that they receive.” 

The city council explained that incumbents are generally re-elected because of their experience. Incumbents also spend most of their first term learning the ropes of the job, so they do not reach their full potential until the next term. 

Still, city council members say the new application process is designed to increase accessibility for everyone. This includes interviews for each candidate and longer windows for job openings. 

The council encourages those interested and informed on the positions to apply and remain persistent in the process.