BEAUMONT, Texas — As Beaumont continues to search for its next police chief, a new short list of candidates from the city manager is expected to come out Friday.
It's been a major back and forth on the city council, with some members fighting for a local candidate, while others want a new face to be the top cop.
"Just because people are not from this area does not mean they can't come here and do a good job," said City Council member Charles Durio.
The current chief, Jimmy Singletary is officially retiring July 31 and the city must appoint a new chief by then or they will have to find an interim.
The Beaumont Examiner released a report that the city is considering four new local candidates, in addition to Assistant Chief Jason Plunkett.
These candidates are BPD captains Tim Onaschek, Onafre Tyler and Chris Schuldt as well as Beaumont Independent School District Police Chief Joseph Malbrough.
The City of Beaumont has yet to confirm the report, but they have told 12News they have not officially interviewed anyone outside of the original four candidates.
Previously four of seven members voted against City Manager Kenneth Williams' recommendation of Troy Price for Beaumont's new chief.
RELATED: Beaumont City Council rejects City Manager recommendation for Troy Price as new Police Chief
"The majority of the council made it known that they wanted a local police chief that was from this area," Durio said.
Plunkett was the only local candidate in the first round. But the Beaumont chapter of the NAACP does not want Plunkett to replace Singletary.
"We were wondering how we, throughout the community, how he was part of that four final group and he was part of a racial discrimination lawsuit against a black officer who was harassed and discriminated against," said Beaumont NAACP President Shedrick Evans.
Evans is referring to a lawsuit that named Plunkett as a defendant. It was brought on by a former Beaumont officer, who claimed he was racially targeted and wrongfully fired. The 2009 suit was settled in favor of the fired officer.
"Certainly we're gonna have a concern because one of our tenants are to fight racial discrimination situations that occur within the area," Evans said.
Plunkett's supporters say that he was not in a leadership position at the time of the lawsuit therefore he had nothing to do with the firing.
Durio is asking citizens for patience as they navigate this difficult process.
"We have to take our time and make sure the next person presented to us gets the job," he said.