One sign of good leadership is the ability to gather information and seek input before making an informed decision.

That is exactly what South Point Mayor Ron West did.

After several weeks of discussion and consideration, some of which included input from the public, on Tuesday West named Mark Goodall as the new South Point Fire Chief.

This goes against what many believe the mayor was going to do and whom some indications showed he was going to appoint.

We commend West for having the courage to look at all the information and make his own decision.

Even though it was the popular one, it also looks to be the correct one.

Although there were a number of missteps along the way and the situation could have been handled better, the end result is one which village residents should be proud.

Although all the candidates shared a love for the Village of South Point, Goodall is a longtime volunteer who has been leading the department since Richard Stevens retired in March. He appeared to have the support of the majority of the firefighters and a clear vision for where the department needed to go.

Although the process took longer than many people wanted, the best leaders are the ones who make informed decisions after carefully looking at all options rather than just going on instinct.