CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – In the aftermath of the fiscal year 2026 budget approval on Thursday, Clarksville Now reached out to the 3180 Clarksville Fire Fighters Association, as well as Mayor Joe Pitts, on what happens next with the push for an increase in firefighter pay.
The Fire Fighters Association said they are disappointed that there was nothing in the budget to address the specific pay issues facing the men and women of Clarksville Fire Rescue.
“We have been told by a couple of council members that they would support a pay study. We will have to see what and if they have anything to offer,” the association said in an emailed statement. “In the meantime, Local 3180 members will continue to gain public support. The public support should not go unheard. We urge all citizens to contact your councilperson in your ward and express your thoughts on competitive wages for your local firefighters.
“These firefighters are screaming for help and have felt undervalued for too long. They don’t ask for much, just to be treated with respect and compensated on a level with surrounding areas.”
| PREVIOUSLY: ‘It’s hard to keep up’: Firefighter supporters rally for pay increase at Clarksville City Council
The fiscal year 2026 budget included a 2.5% wage increase for all City of Clarksville employees, which includes city firefighters, according to previous reports.
When Clarksville Now asked Pitts about any potential increase in firefighter pay in the coming years, he said the city will review all their employees’ pay in the normal course of business, and at the appropriate time.
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