“The comments (about White) I heard from all of the aldermen then were all positive,” she said. “If he was so good two weeks ago, why isn’t he good now?”

Mayor Jake Middleton broke a 3-3 tie at the April 10 meeting that was split along racial lines among the aldermen by voting against hiring White.

Middleton said then he wanted to ensure all the candidates would accept the $52,300 salary because it was not posted with the job.

He also said he wanted to ask the Civil Service Commission why a candidate who reportedly did not meet the board’s preferred college degree requirement was given to the board as a final candidate.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Middleton said he needed to get a copy of Babin’s college degree for the records and said he would not vote for a candidate until the city had all the necessary records on file.

Gray and Fields said they did not believe race was a factor in hiring a police chief until Tuesday’s aldermen meeting.

Fields said that he believed an underlying reason for some aldermen not wanting to hire White permanently is that some people have a problem with the fact that the city’s interim police chief and fire chief are black.

Fields said he often believes the black aldermen are “villainized.”

“Sure we walked out the other day, but what prompted us to walk out?” Fields said. “I can’t see it being anything else other than being racially motivated.”

Racial issues aside, Fields said the main issue he has with what seems to be a push to not hire White is that he believes a qualified Natchez native would be the best fit for chief.

“When we have homegrown people who have credentials that stack up or exceed other candidates’ (credentials), and you still want to overlook them, there is something else motivating that,” Fields said.

Mathis said she thinks White is a better candidate for chief than an out-of-towner because he already knows the area, the people and the police department.

Mathis and Ward 2 Alderman James “Rickey” Gray said they have received letters from minority and non-minority elected officials and business owners noting the good job they believed White has been doing at the department since he took over in November.

The police chief position was left open after the board asked former chief Mike Mullins to retire early in November 2011.

Gray said he believes some of the aldermen had a meeting before Tuesday’s public meeting and decided to make a motion to hire Babin.

Fortenbery said he was not a part of any secret meeting before the regular meeting, and he said he did not decide prior to the meeting to make a motion.