Butler could have new police and fire department chiefs in a couple weeks.

Mayor Ben Smith said there is a “better than 50/50” chance he could announce the appointment of a police chief at the Oct. 25 city council meeting.

He began interviewing candidates for the job shortly after former Chief Ron Brown retired July 31. Smith has said he is not planning to hire a deputy chief to replace former Deputy Chief Dave Adam who retired Aug. 23.

The mayor has the authority to appoint a police chief without council’s approval, but Smith said he will tell the four council members who he plans to appoint.

“I do want to at least inform council. If four oppose it could cause reconsideration, but I don’t think that will be the case,” Smith said.

Council does vote on hiring police officers and the police department is one person shy of its full 23-officer complement. Smith said hiring a patrolman could be on the meeting agenda.

Council also would vote on a fire chief, a position that has been vacant since former Chief Nick Ban retired in 2016.

The city and Butler Township have agreed to share a chief, but he or she would be a city employee and work only as needed for the township.

City and township officials interviewed four candidates Tuesday at the township municipal building.

“That was round one of the interviews. We narrowed it down from the group of candidates,” Smith said.

Other candidates could be interviewed, but none are currently scheduled, he said.

“It’s certainly possible,” Smith said, that hiring a fire chief will come up at the council meeting.

He said the final candidate would have to accept the job first and he wants the township commissioners to agree with the person he and council members want for the job.

Dave Zarnick, chairman of the township board of commissioners, said he believes the township and city have a qualified group of candidates to choose from.

“We think we do,” Zarnick said.

The joint city-township fire chief would work with the township’s three volunteer fire departments, which are considering merging into one department.

At least two of the volunteer departments gave preliminary approval to the merger.

If all three departments and the commissioners approve the merger, the new department would commence operations Jan. 1.