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Belleville council confirms new fire chief, deputy and multiple internal promotions
Summary
The council approved appointments making Kurt Leger fire chief and Jesse Garnica deputy chief effective Aug. 21, 2025, and ratified several promotions recommended by the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.
The Belleville City Council approved on Aug. 18 the appointment of Kurt Leger as fire chief and Jesse Garnica as deputy chief, effective 12:01 a.m. Aug. 21, 2025, and ratified a slate of internal promotions recommended by the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.
Alderperson Anthony moved to approve the appointments, citing the authority of the Illinois Municipal Code and the city's revised ordinances; the measure passed on a roll call vote. The ordinance packet cited 65 ILCS 5/10‑2.1‑4 of the Illinois Municipal Code and section 33.041(c) of the city’s revised code of ordinances as the legal basis for the appointments.
Separately, the council approved promotions forwarded by the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners: Battalion Chief Joseph Ellison to assistant chief; Captain Jeffrey Frigrisio to battalion chief; Engineer Travis Henry to captain; and Firefighter Brian Shield to engineer, all effective 12:01 a.m. Aug. 21, 2025. The promotions were introduced during the meeting and approved by unanimous roll call.
Council members and staff recognized Chief Stephanie Mills for 25 years of service to the Belleville Fire Department, including the past two years as fire chief. Mayor Meyer read remarks praising her tenure; Mills assisted in introducing the newly promoted officers at the council chamber after an in‑house pinning ceremony.
What the council approved: the appointments and promotions were approved as formal personnel actions with effective date/time specified. The council agenda recorded the motions, roll call votes, and the statutory citations used to process executive appointments to the fire department leadership.
Implementation: city staff confirmed the effective date for the new appointments and promotions as Aug. 21, 2025, at 12:01 a.m.; personnel actions will be processed by the city’s human resources and finance departments per city policy.
The council did not take additional related actions at the meeting such as setting salary adjustments in open session; those administrative details were not discussed on the record.
