The Quitman City Council voted unanimously to retain Fire Chief Scott Wheeler last Thursday. Wheeler has been the five chief for several years. There were three nominees for the post and they were Wheeler, Wesley Price and Junior Stovall.

“Every two years the Quitman Volunteer Fire Department they take a vote on who they would like their chief to be. They have their top three picks and this year it was Scott Wheeler, Wesley Price and Junior Stovall,” City Administrator Rodney Kieke said.

After an executive session, the council voted to make James Attaway the new city administrator at a salary of $61,300. Kieke will remain the executive director of the Quitman Development Corporation (QDC). Kieke will continue to do the QDC remotely from his home in Galveston. 

“Rodney will remain at the QDC job for now. James (Attaway) is not doing QDC. We are not sure at this time how long Rodney will be in that position,” Mayor Randy Dunn said.

The council approved a Chapter 380 agreement as an incentive to attract a manufacturing business to Quitman.

“We are considering proposals to attract a business to come to Quitman. We need some commitment from the QDC and need some commitment from the city in consideration of entering into a 380 agreement for tax rebates over a 10-year plan for the first five years at 100% rebate and de-escalating in the next five years,” Kieke said. “Their goal is to get up to 25 jobs in the next five years. This is an existing company, very well thought of; they are in another state at this point. We are in competition with another Texas county on this one. We are desirable geographically to the company.”

The council took no action on the spending of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds on targeted city projects. The council also did not take action on repairs to Richard St. between S. Main and McAllister St.