Jeannette Council demoted its fire chief this week in a move the department's former leader called political. Council unanimously decided Tuesday to move Vance Phillips back to captain and elevate Bill Frye to the role of chief. “I'm not a Democrat and that is obviously a big motive in the reversing of all that was built in the last number of years,” Phillips said in a statement. He said he learned of his demotion when he was handed an agenda at council's reorganization meeting. So did attorney Scott Avolio, who was replaced as solicitor by Fayette County attorney Timothy Witt of the law firm Watson Mundorff Brooks & Sepic.