Disgraceful Chattanooga Fire And Police Pay - And Response

  • Wednesday, July 23, 2025

I was shocked when I saw the starting salaries of the fire and police department. Hard to imagine that the starting salary is so low. And if I may I copied the following "Council Chair Jenny Hill, noting the city this year was putting $30 million into that fund, said, "It has the potential to sink the city."

The potential to sink the city. I imagine there are probably 100 jobs within the city that could be cut, possibly more, and not by the fire and police department. I imagine probably 20 to 30 unnecessary programs could be eliminated. And to think that the council wants assistants, for free? No for pay. More
important than the Fire and Police.

Mayor Kelly wants a city manager. He wants this and that with no regard to the ordinary citizens of Chattanooga. His liberal, leftist policies will turn Chattanooga into the Los Angles of the East with his liberal and wasteful programs and spending.

Let’s let the citizens of Chattanooga see a line-by-line item of the budget, I am sure they can assist in the budget cuts to get the fire and police up to a living salary.

Disgraceful.

Douglas Smith

* * *

I agree that our mayor and city commissioners need to do more for our fire and police officers to increase the pay. However, I'm not for the programs including the curbside recycle and other pet projects which should be eliminated. 
 
Where is the fiscal responsibility?  How much more do we have to pay in property taxes? 
 
I think there needs to be an audit of all city departments and review what is being spent.

Tim Bittenbender
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