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Fire chief urges council to consider credentials of appointed board nominee for Fire District 7
Summary
Gary Whitehead, chief of Saint Tammany Fire District 7, spoke at agenda review about a pending board appointment, said the nominee meets statutory qualifications and urged council members to consider community impacts; council referred the appointment to the full council.
Gary Whitehead, chief of Saint Tammany Fire District 7, addressed the council during the agenda review to speak about a board seat for his district.
Whitehead identified himself and his district: “I am the fire chief for Saint Tammany Fire District number 7,” and he described District 7 as covering a large geographic area and having a comparatively low millage rate. He said the nominee Stephanie Salas meets the basic statutory qualifications—age, residency within the district and property ownership—and that he had reviewed her resume and conducted a brief interview.
Whitehead said he had no business or political relationship with council members and that his objective was to represent public‑safety interests for the community his department serves. He also told councilmembers he was not supporting any reappointment at this time and invited councilmembers to contact him for more information.
Councilmembers asked follow‑up questions about residency and eligibility; Whitehead confirmed he owns property in District 7 but does not live there. The council referred the appointment and associated pulled items to the full council for final action.
Next steps: the appointment will be considered at the full‑council meeting next week; councilmembers were invited to contact the fire chief or staff for additional information before the vote.
