Our View

Our View

New WM Fire Chief has some big spending plans

For months now the citizens of West Memphis have heard about the bucket list of wants and wishes from city politicians, department heads and their workers, from wanting more pay raises, new fire stations, new full-size SUVs for department heads, a substantial salary increase for Mayor Marco McClendon and now we’ve heard from the controversial newly appointed fire chief just what he wants.

Keep in mind West Memphians that during all these mind boggling meetings where all these wish lists are being tossed around we’re told the West Memphis Utilities water and sewer rates need to be increased, a city bond issue may be extended to build new fire stations and a fire administration building and now Councilman Tracy Catt is suggesting that home and property owners fork over more taxes in the form of a two mill increase, which on a $ 100,000 piece of property would about to what he says is about $40 more a year.

City money crunchers have already said the fees charged to West Memphis residents for garbage and trash collections isn’t enough and that there should be some consideration for raising the monthly charges.

Meanwhile, city employees, utility workers, police officers and firefighters are wanting raises this year based on studies that say West Memphis lags behind other similar sized cities when it comes to salaries.

As this new city administration settles in it was interesting to hear what Fire Chief Dennis Brewer had to tell the politicians serving on the city’s fire commission recently.

Wielding a long list of short and long-rang plans, Brewer said first on his agenda is recruiting new firefighters to fill vacant positions and address what he called a low moral problem.

He says doing away with the casual polo shirts firefighters now wear with a “more professional” attire will somehow “pep up the department.”

Brewer wasted no time in telling council members he wants a new fire station although he has no idea how it will be paid for he said, “I am from the old school, build it and they will come. I believe we need to build and all the worry about staffing and filling in will all come together.”

Upon hearing Brewer’s ambitious plans Councilman Catt didn’t miss a beat by saying that while the fire department doesn’t have a deprecation fund to purchase new equipment build new fire stations or Chevrolet Tahoes for the fire chief and his assistants but there is always the taxpayers to lean upon for more money.

“I hate taxes with a passion but a two mill increase on the citizens of West Memphis could easily be approved by the city council,” Catt said. To that let’s ask Catt how he and fellow politicians are going to pay for all the other enormous wants and wishes that have been laid on the bargaining table. And, Mr. Catt what are the plans for raising city fees to make up for the loses in the sanitation and utility departments?

Let’s all admit that there are some very bitter pills for the taxpaying citizens of West Memphis to swallow, and it will certainly be interesting to see how these politicians play Santa Claus. Oh, by the way people, without all that Brewer is wanting to the tune of millions of additional tax dollars the fire department budget is still $900,000 more than last year.