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Times.

It’s pretty sad that the Mayor elect McClendon’s first priorities are to worry the heck out of the City Council about getting him a new Tahoe and trying to get them to ok a 150,000 a year salary. FYI, the current salary for West Memphis Mayor is 48,000.

Granted it needs to be more than 150,000? Mentally he’s like a kid in a candy store, and is gong to try an run a city. For the people who voted for him, I hope this time next year you can say that you’re proud of your city. [Editor’s Note: While I am definitely cautiously optimistic but skepitcal about the new administration set to take power tomorrow in West Memphis, I’m actually pretty tired of everyone just assuming the city is going to burn to the ground just because of the new mayor. Asking for a higher salary and a newer vehicle than the previous mayor were nowhere near McClendon’s “first priorities.” If you want to throw out comparison’s, the mayor of Marion makes, $68,000 a year. That's for a city half the size of West Memphis. I get your concerns. Trust me, I do. But it’s time to watch and see what the new regime can actually do and be a part of helping to keep West Memphis moving forward] FYI, just as predicted, the West Memphis Fire Dept is crumbling to the ground just like the Twin Towers did back on 911. Three senior Firemen with a total of roughly 85 years experience have resigned because of the incoming Chief that McClendon appointed. McClendon was warned that this choice would destroy the Fire Dept but he did it anyway. The Fireman have a right to be heard as to who they want to lead them, but McClendon had his own agenda to choose a Chief that was told to resign or be fired for gross insubordination.

McClendon is going to let this appointment racially divide this city and firefighters are refusing to serve under this Chief. To the citizens of West Memphis, get ready, chances are the cities fire rating is probably going to fall from a one to who knows where, which means homeowners insurance will go back up. All three men that have resigned were a big part of working to keep the fire rating at a best class one. This is just the first example of what’s to come because McClendon made promises to people that have no business running a Department that they were fired from. All McClendon’s priority is bugging the city to purchase him a new Tahoe.

He can’t settle for just a car.

Speak up taxpayer now or you won't have a suitable city in four years. [Editor’s Note: My son and I were recently sitting across from a couple of guys at a local eatery the other day and I overheard them talking about the current political landscape. After one of them went on at length about “Marco” this-and-that, the other said something along the lines of “you ’ve got to stop all this gloom and doom stuff.' Now, I’m not saying that the loss of so many top-tierfire and police personnel isn’t going to be tough, because it definitely is.

But the reality is that Mc-Clendon is making moves he is perfectly entitled to make because he, you know, won the election. It’s the same (but definitely different) as when Trump took office and put the people he wanted into various positions. If you want to get technical about it, McClendon is vastly more qualified to be mayor of West Memphis than Trump was to be president of the United States. And it’s the same (but definitely different) deal with some people rightly pointing out McClendon ’s less-than-ideal legal problems, just like folks did with Trump. You are clearly focused on the Fire Department, but there are likely to be sweeping staff changes all over the city. You say, “Speak up taxpayer now or you won’t have a suitable city in fouryear s.” And I agree, if you feel strongly about any issues the city is facing, you should speak up, but it’s McClendon’s boat to sail for now, and I’d be rooting for him to keep it above water rather than see it sink just to say, “See, I told you so.”] Who was the genius that thought it would be a good idea to install a speed bump in the middle of Highway 77? Oh wait… that’s just the railroad crossing!!! How stupid do you have to be to take one of the busiest roads in the whole county and put a hazard like that right in the middle. If you go over it at the posted speed limit you would probably ruin your suspension or break an axle!!!

[Editor’s Note: Yeah, I don’t get it either. I saw someone on Facebook post something like “Thanks for the cool ramp on 77 guys! I think I got airborne last time through!]

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