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St. Paul Council reappoints Butch Inks as fire chief; colleagues praise leadership
Summary
The St. Paul City Council unanimously approved the reappointment of Butch Inks as fire chief, with council members and the deputy mayor citing his long service, department innovations and community partnerships.
The St. Paul City Council unanimously approved a resolution on July 22 reappointing Butch Inks as chief of the Saint Paul Fire Department.
Inks, who is serving another term after a council vote of 6-0, told the council he and his family were “deeply honored for the opportunity to continue to serve here in Saint Paul” and described his career as rooted in programs that shaped him as a young person in the city.
Council members used remarks before the vote to praise Inks’s record. Council Member Provodzinski said Inks’s long tenure and responsiveness to the council stood out, and Chair Buie and others emphasized Inks’s visible presence at neighborhood events. Deputy Mayor (speaking at the meeting) noted department investments Inks led—citing the city’s approach to firefighter occupational cancer support during his tenure and the department’s role during COVID-19 relief efforts—and described those as examples of his leadership.
Inks credited the department’s rank-and-file and administrative staff for making responses possible and singled out the labor-management relationship with the union as a factor in the department’s accomplishments. “We are really a department that does things differently, does things with innovation in mind,” Inks said.
Council Vice President Kim and other members pointed to recent station improvements and the city’s first electric fire truck as signs of the department’s modernization under Inks’s leadership. Multiple council members also noted Inks’s community involvement outside the department, including participation in neighborhood events and charitable activities.
The council took a roll call vote after brief remarks and presented the resolution in the chamber with Inks’ family present. The resolution passed 6-0 with no dissent.
The reappointment is an administrative decision enacted by the council through resolution; the council did not set terms or conditions in its remarks beyond approving the reappointment. The council discussion largely focused on recognition of Inks’s service and the department’s partnership with union leadership and community organizations.
