Bettsville council adopts emergency ordinance appointing Dave Smalley as fire chief

The Village Council of Bettsville read and adopted an emergency ordinance appointing Dave Smalley as the village fire chief and setting compensation at $300 per month.

During the meeting the Chair read the ordinance aloud and described the effective date as early June 2026. "The compensation for fire chief shall be $300 per month," the Chair read from the ordinance. The Chair asked the council to suspend rules so the measure could take effect immediately; members proceeded with motions and roll-call confirmations, and the ordinance was adopted.

Council members discussed practical next steps, including ensuring training, repairing trucks and radios, and clarifying who to contact about equipment or personnel needs. The Chair said he would sign the ordinance and deliver it to the appropriate office.

Procedural note: The transcript records motions to suspend rules, a motion to declare an emergency, and a motion to adopt; members answered affirmatively during roll-call prompts in the meeting transcript; no recorded 'no' votes appear in the transcript's roll-call segments.

What it means: The appointment is effective upon passage and subject to applicable laws; compensation and duties are described in the ordinance as read at the meeting.

Attributions: Quotations and attributions are taken from the meeting transcript and are attributed to the Chair and to Dave Smalley, who self-identified at the meeting.