Warren council confirms fire chief, receives fire commissioner amid calls for investigation

The Warren City Council on May 20 confirmed Oren Ferguson as city fire chief after a contentious public exchange and a failed motion to deny his appointment. Council members also voted to receive and file the appointment of Wilbert “Skip” McAdams as fire commissioner and asked that a letter of agreement with the firefighters’ union be signed and provided to council by the end of the week.

The dispute grew out of comments made during a May committee-of-the-whole meeting and subsequent public remarks alleging concerns about Ferguson’s leadership. Councilmember Mindy Moore moved to deny Ferguson’s appointment, citing information she said had been reported to her and an unwillingness by the nominee to undergo an investigation. The motion to deny was put to a roll-call vote and failed; council proceeded without adopting the denial and the appointment remained effective.

Why it matters: The fire chief and fire commissioner lead a department that responds to life-safety incidents in Warren. Council debate focused on whether unresolved personnel or conduct concerns justified delaying or blocking the mayor’s appointments, and on the limits of council authority under the city charter.

Council action and debate Councilmember Moore said she had been contacted by numerous firefighters and others with concerns and asked that Ferguson submit to an investigation. Moore said she was “disturbed” by some items she had been told and suggested denial if Ferguson would not submit to an inquiry. Ferguson declined to withdraw his appointment and said he would not decline the post. Councilmembers Jonathan Lafferty and others said they supported an investigation but ultimately did not join the denial motion.

On McAdams, the council moved to “receive and file” his appointment and to ratify a letter of agreement reached that day between the city and the firefighters’ union addressing supervisory relationships involving relatives. Human resources director Jared Gage told the council he would sign the letter on the city’s behalf once he had a copy with the union signature; council requested the signed agreement be provided to council before Friday.

Legal and process context City attorney remarks at the meeting noted a Warren charter provision restricting relatives from serving in the same department without specific labor agreement language allowing exceptions. Counsel described a Court of Appeals decision upholding the city’s charter provision when narrowly applied. The council and administration arranged a letter of understanding with the union intended to avoid conflicts of interest if relatives are employed in the same department.

Next steps and community reaction Several residents and firefighters spoke during public comment, with some urging a full investigation and others defending the nominees. Council members confirmed they retain the option to request independent investigations post-appointment. The council did not set a separate investigative process at the meeting; members said they could pursue independent review later if they choose.