Surprise bill halts Jefferson City Council meeting

It was supposed to be a quiet Jefferson City Council meeting Monday evening, but it turned out to be anything but uneventful.

Some surprising developments put a stop to the meeting, leaving some to question if interim fire chief Jason Turner can now get a fair chance at the job he’s been doing for more than a year.

Councilman Glenn Costales introduced a bill mid-meeting to bypass City Manager Steve Crowell, and place the Council’s support behind Captain Matt Schofield, the fire chief candidate the search committee recommended a few weeks ago.

We’ve been told all along the City Manager would have the final say, and his recommended candidate would be the one introduced to the council.

However, the bill was not placed on the agenda before Monday’s meeting, so the council couldn’t legally vote on the issue.

Costales said he believes Schofield is the right candidate.

Turner said he would respect the council’s decision whatever the outcome.