Mayor Paul Tomlinson really HATES the Kearney Fire Department

It began years ago when Tomlinson held the new firetruck for ransom when council wanted Jim Skelton to resign from the Capital Management sub-committee. You can read up on that here. Then there was the incident with volunteer firefighter Frank Colley responding to an emergency in Perry Township. As you recall, Colley helped save two senior citizens and their dog, but got chewed out for leaving his job at the community centre to do it.

So what is Tomlinson up to now?

A bit of background first: The Fire Board is an advisory committee to council on matters of fire safety for the town. During the last term, Kearney's Fire Board consisted of the Fire Chief, the Fire Captain, and two members of council, Bob Tilley and Charlie Zummach. Tilley and Zummach were both appointed to the board primarily because they are ex-firefighters and fire safety instructors, as opposed to their just being councillors. Makes sense right?

Okay. Here’s Tomlinson’s new Fire Board:

• The Fire Chief. But, the Fire Chief will not be allowed to vote.
• Two of Tomlinson’s lackeys from council who have zero firefighting knowledge or experience.
• One member of the public, appointed by Tomlinson, who is also without any firefighting experience or knowledge.

But maybe they were the only ones to volunteer to sit on the new board?

Nope. Tilley and Zummach volunteered, as did several other Kearney residents with firefighting experience. But none were Proudfoot-approved so were rejected.

So, a Fire Board where the only knowledgeable member has been gagged, leaving three votes, two of which we know will vote as Tomlinson dictates. 

A bit of revenge for the Fire Department taking exception to Jim Skelton’s slandering the Fire Chief last term, or just another example of Mayor Paul Tomlinson trying to control and micromanage everything in Kearney?

Either way, you better hope he likes you if your house catches fire.

Are you surprised?