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Firefighters tell Clarksville council starting pay lags peers, urge step plan and retention measures
Summary
Three public commenters — including the president of Local 3180 and two firefighters — urged the council to raise starting pay and implement a step plan to improve recruitment and retention, citing regional pay comparisons and the impact on firefighters' families.
Three public speakers urged the Clarksville City Council to address firefighter pay during the June 12 work session, saying starting salaries lag neighboring jurisdictions and that low pay is harming recruitment and retention.
Jesse Snyder, president of Local 3180 and a Clarksville firefighter of nearly 30 years, told the council many younger firefighters are struggling financially and asked officials to “just take into consideration” a step plan or other pay adjustments. “Retention and recruitment … is going to be because the other departments around us are offering more,” Snyder said, and asked the council and mayor to meet with firefighters on the issue.
Owen James, who identified himself as a Clarksville firefighter, presented salary comparisons he said were drawn from internet sources. James said Clarksville’s starting firefighter pay is $43,811 (about $15.89 per hour) and a certified firefighter’s starting pay is $45,000. He compared those figures with nearby municipalities, saying Dixon starts at about $54,001, Murfreesboro at roughly $56,883 (uncertified), Franklin at $55,000, Goodlettsville at $56,000 and Brentwood in the mid‑$50,000s, and said the differences in starting pay range from roughly 22% to nearly 30% higher than Clarksville’s starting pay.
Josh Gillette, a 20‑year veteran and former special‑forces service member, urged the council to prioritize pay for firefighters over other municipal spending. “If you invested in those who serve, you're just not protecting lives. You're protecting the soul of the community,” Gillette said, and criticized what he described as silence from leaders on firefighter compensation.
No specific salary ordinance or council motion was proposed during public comment. Council members did not take formal action on firefighter pay during the work session; the budget presentation that preceded public comment included a 2.5% general wage increase and listed eight new hires for the fire department in the proposed budget.
Speakers asked the council to engage in further discussion with firefighters and consider a step pay plan and other measures to align Clarksville’s starting pay with regional peers.
