Home » From The Readers, Letters to the Editor » Sedona Fire Board to Reduce Fire Chief Authority

Sedona Fire Board to Reduce Fire Chief Authority

Sedona AZ (September 3, 2011) – The SedonaEye.com received the following Letter to the Editor written by a Village of Oak Creek, Sedona Arizona resident expressing concerns with the Sedona Fire District Board appointment of Joe Demme to chair the new Fire Chief search committee:

Dear Sedona Eye Editor,

Joe Demme, a failed candidate for the Sedona Fire District Governing Board but *surprise* the “gang of three’s” appointed chairman of the committee to select the new Fire Chief, has refused to fill a vacant seat on the committee.

Joe Demme

Numerous requests by committee member Bruce Johnson, to seat someone with fire district experience have been blatantly and repeatedly refused, flying in the face of normal practices. This dictatorial behavior must be vanquished in what is supposed to be a democratic process!Worse, this unrestrained committee is in the process of changing the job description (JD) of the Fire Chief. If you attend the committee meetings or take the time read the minutes thereof, you will immediately recognize their goal. No new chief will be able to speak freely unless the comments “…represent what the Board feels.”It is unlikely any new chief will be able to blow his own nose without Governing Board approval. Under the proposed new JD, the chief’s position – all responsibility, no authority – will be nothing more than a figurehead in a very poorly disguised monarchy.

If you were a qualified candidate for the position of Fire Chief, would you accept a position under those circumstances? I think not. So, unless we take action to end this reign, what the taxpaying citizens of the Sedona Fire District will end up with is an unqualified automaton functioning at the Board’s behest.

Oh…and does the Board have any fire experience? That would be NO!

Simply stated, even those who initially voted for Dave Blauert, Charles Christensen and committee Board representative, Phyllis Erick on an earnest platform of fiscal conservatism, cannot possibly believe this is what they voted for.

This is no longer a debate of political points of view. It is a failed group whose time is up. Oust these false leaders before the damage they do irreparably harms us all.

Rose Lowdon
Village of Oak Creek
Sedona Arizona 

Mark your calendars to vote in the City of Sedona Special election November 8, 2011

Leave a Reply

Copyright © 2008-2017 · Sedona Eye · All Rights Reserved · Posts · Comments · Facebook · Twitter ·