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The Selma City Council cleared up a miscommunication with Selma Fire Department Interim Chief Franklin Edwards at the City Council Work Session Thursday.

Edwards addressed the council members present: President Billy Young, council members Clay Carmichael, Jannie Thomas, Sam Randolph, Christie Thomas, Lesia James, Troy Harvill and Atkin Jemison.

Edwards told the council he assumed the city council approved salary increases for the Interim Fire Chief ($70,000), Assistant Fire Chief ($65,000) Battalion Chief ($48,000) and fireman (over $40,000) at a Nov. 28 council meeting. He held up a salary sheet at the meeting.

Young and Carmichael both said the council only approved two budget transfers – $200,000 and $100,000, not salary increases for the Selma FIre Department (SFD).

“The city council must make a separate vote for the salary increases,” Young said. “The council will vote Tuesday at the city council.”

Harvill, who heads the council’s finance committee, told Edwards that each Department Head was supposed to find budget items and they have not received anything. 

Jasmine Robinson, assistant for Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr., said the request was placed on the Consent Agenda, but Young said, “it was only for budget transfers.”