Council committee votes to recommend raise for Jacksonville fire chief

A Jacksonville city council committee has voted to recomended giving the cities fire chief a 9% raise. The action came after Jacksonville firefighter David Bell, vice president of the cities fire fighters association made the case Thursday to a City Council committee that his department’s chief needs a pay raise.

Bell contended that Chief Wade Buckner, who makes about $48,000 a year, is underpaid. After a 40-minute discussion, Bell,got the response he had sought.

The committee members, Jerry Parris, Truman Norred and Jonathan Tompkins, voted in favor of giving the chief a 9 percent raise. In order for the raise to take effect, however, the committee's recommendation must be approved by the full five-person City Council. The council’s next meeting is scheduled for