Fire Chief Receives Pay Raise

Smithfield Fire Chief Jon Blanton was given a pay raise by the Smithfield Town Council on Tuesday night.

Blanton, who has been the fire chief since February 10th, had been making an annual salary of $71,400. Former Interim Town Manager Jim Freeman made an offer of employment to Blanton at the time stipulation that after Blanton completed six months on the job he would receive a 2.5 percent pay increase.

The council approved the $1,785 pay increase, effective August 15, 2016, bringing his salary to $73,185.

Blanton moved from Stedman to Smithfield in 1987 and initially worked as a car salesman. In August 1990, he was hired by former Fire Chief Norman Johnson as a fire engineer. He was later promoted to Lieutenant and in 2001 Captain. In February he was named as fire chief replacing former chief Patrick Harris who retired in July 2015.