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Circleville announces consultant to transition into director of public safety
Summary
Circleville officials said consultant Paul Pryde will transition into the city's director of public safety role and begin full-time employment in June; council and mayor described his background and transition timeline.
President Keller opened the Circleville City Council meeting on Tuesday and announced that the consultant hired last year to review police operations will transition into the city's director of public safety position.
The announcement matters because the consultant has been providing policy, staffing and community engagement work for the city since August 2024 and will move from a consultant role into city employment this summer, Mayor Michelle Blanton said.
"As you know, on August 2024, City Council passed an ordinance...to hire a police consultant by the name of Paul Pryde," President Keller said at the meeting, summarizing the council's earlier action and the consultant's scope of work. The mayor said Pryde delivered a report to council on Nov. 12, 2024, and has continued to provide consulting services while the transition is arranged.
Mayor Michelle Blanton said the consultant will begin a more permanent role handling public-safety functions for the city's fire and police departments. "If you have questions or want to set up meetings with him, please feel free to reach out to him. He will have a city email address," Blanton said. "He will officially start in June."
Council members raised no formal objections during the announcement; the transition was presented as an administrative staffing decision that follows the consultant's earlier review work. The council record shows the consultant's prior deliverables included policy and procedure review, training and community relations outreach, and meetings with elected officials and city employees.
The transcript includes multiple spellings of the consultant's name. The council first referenced him as Paul Pryde when describing the August hiring and the November delivery of a consultant report. Later remarks used alternate spellings; the city announced the transition during the meeting and said the consultant will receive a city email address for contact once the hire is finalized.
No formal council vote on the hire occurred during the meeting; council members were informed of the staffing transition and told how to contact the incoming director once his city email is active. The mayor and council said they welcome continued input from council members during the transition.
The council also used the meeting to preview other agenda items and schedule a special session for second- and third-reading votes on several ordinances and resolutions.
