City of Quincy drawing closer to finding a new fire chief

QUINCY – At Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting, one of Quincy’s three Police and Fire Commissioners gave an update on the search for the city’s next fire chief.

Barry Cheyne, who is on the commission along with Kerry Anders and Steve Meckes, said the commission will spend part of next week conducting in-person interviews of the four finalists and could have a recommendation ready as soon as July 9.

Joe Henning, who has been Quincy’s fire chief since 2009, is retiring on July 16. Of the final four candidates, two are internal and two are external. Quincy has never hired a fire chief outside its ranks in the city’s history.

The commission has engaged the Illinois Fire Chief Association in the search. In the city’s organizational structure, it is the commission who makes the appointment.

In other news, Mayor Mike Troup announced the Adams County Republican Central Committee and Precinct Committeemen of the 3rd Ward are recommending Kelly Mays to be the city’s next 3rd Ward Alderman. If approved, Mays will replace Jason Finney, who moved out of the ward. She is married to Joe Mays, who is the nephew of the city’s Director of Administrative Services, Jeff Mays.

Troup also reappointed Ken Obert, Rachel Williams, Cheri Kerr, Gabe McClean, Tony Sassen, Jim Rinella and Tony Crane to three year terms to the Oakley-Lindsay Civic Center Board.

Troup also added Rocky Murry, Conlon Carabine, Jeff Mays, City Inspector Michael Seaver and Assistant City Attorney Bruce Alford to the Residential Rental Property Registration Ad Hoc Committee.