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Dixmoor to shutdown fire department
The Southtown Star, a publication of the Sun-Times, is reporting that the village of Dixmoor will be shutting down its fire department as of December 1, 2013. This decision comes as the financially troubled village struggles to manage its budget and maintain essential services.
According to a letter sent by the village attorney on Tuesday, the dissolution of the fire department is now official, with the final date set for December 1. The move has been in the works for some time, as Mayor Dorothy Armstrong, who was elected earlier this year, revealed that the village was facing a budget deficit exceeding $1 million. She noted that maintaining the fire department cost over $773,000 annually — nearly a third of the village’s total revenue — despite having only 20 firefighters.
Efforts to reach Armstrong for comment were unsuccessful, but several village employees confirmed the closure. Tim McDonald, president of Local 73 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents the firefighters, said the mayor had been pushing for this change for years. He claimed the village board passed the resolution during a special meeting without allowing public input, calling the process “a joke.â€
McDonald also mentioned that six of the 12 full-time firefighters had already been laid off, with about a dozen part-timers still employed. A firefighter, who asked not to be named, said the village plans to outsource fire protection to the Harvey Fire Department and hire a private ambulance service for paramedics. However, the Harvey city council hasn’t even scheduled a meeting until December 9, raising concerns about what will happen after November 30.
Dixmoor, with a population of just 3,644, is one of the poorest suburbs in the Chicago area. According to the 2010 census, the median household income was $38,817, and nearly 36% of residents live below the poverty line. The village has a long history of corruption and mismanagement, including scandals involving the park district police force, embezzlement of funds, and multiple officials being convicted for financial crimes.
Mayor Donald Luster, who once promised to "Bring the Luster back to Dixmoor," was sentenced to probation for fraud and tax evasion. More recently, former Mayor Keevan Grimmett was disqualified from running due to not living at his registered address, and Trustee Michael Smith pleaded guilty to stealing gas from the town.
Firefighters are paid between $12 and $13 an hour, making their annual salary around $28,000 — far from generous. McDonald said the union had won a grievance for unpaid wages but hadn’t yet received payment. He added that the village gave raises to police officers but didn’t compensate the firefighters, which violates their contract.
While the decision to dissolve the fire department may be financially necessary, it raises serious questions about the village’s leadership and accountability. Residents, many of whom are struggling financially themselves, continue to pay taxes for services that have often failed to meet expectations.
As one local resident put it, “We deserve better — and we deserve a fire department.†But with so much uncertainty and a lack of transparency, it's hard to blame them for questioning whether the village is capable of doing right by them.