SHEFFIELD — An appeal hearing for fired Sheffield Police Chief Greg Ray has been postponed by the Civil Service Board, city officials said this morning.

City prosecutor Ben Gardner Jr. said he was told the Civil Service Board postponed the hearing until Jan. 31.

City officials said Ray’s attorney, Tony Hughes, filed a number of documents with the Civil Service Board on Monday. He asked for more than a dozen subpoenas to be issued for the hearing.

The hearing was scheduled to be held Thursday morning.

Gardner said there was no way to process the subpoenas within that time frame.

“Right now, the Civil Service Board has set a tentative date of Jan. 31 for the hearing,” Gardner said.

The 54-year-old Ray was terminated Oct. 26 after being given a choice of resigning or facing termination, according to Sheffield Mayor Ian Sanford. Among the performance issues cited was Ray’s failure to address concerns brought up by the mayor and council members.

Ray is on leave with pay, pending the appeal.

Ray has worked in the department since 1992 and served as chief since the retirement of Doug Aycock in 2007.

Sanford appointed Sheffield Fire chief Dewey King as interim police chief.