Billy Burns has been the fire chief in Stuttgart for the last four years, but Burns said he’s spent the last two years trying to find a way to retire early. Burns claims working for Mayor J.W. Green is insufferable, saying he’s had no control of his department.
Friday was Burns’s last day on the job at the Stuttgart Fire Department. He said the moment was bittersweet.
“The first reason is, I do have my time in,” said Burns, commenting on his reasoning for leaving his job. “But the second reason is the stress from having to work under J.W. Green has just been horrific.” When Green took over as the mayor of Stuttgart two years ago, Burns said the two had the conversation that it was Green’s way or the highway when it came to running SFD.