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Troy used to have a plan, a good one. A firefighter incentive that rewarded years of service, honored the sacrifices made on every call, and recognized the reality of what it means to be a firefighter in this city. It wasn’t extravagant. It wasn’t some “special perk.”
It was a promise.

And then City Hall took it away.

While Troy stripped away the incentive that kept our volunteer fire department strong, neighboring cities like Clawson moved in the opposite direction. Clawson’s ordinance shows a city that values its firefighters: they strengthened their pension formula, increased benefits per year of service, and acknowledged that public safety is not something you gamble with or cheap out on.

Troy should be doing the same, not cutting, not punishing, not undermining the very people who protect this city.

Firefighters Deserve Better Than What Troy Did to Them

Troy’s firefighters step into burning buildings, cut victims out of vehicles, respond to medical calls, stand in the freezing cold on hazardous scenes, and give up nights, weekends, holidays, and family time — all to keep this community safe.

And what did they get in return?
Their incentive taken away.
Their service devalued.
Their commitment dismissed as expendable.

This wasn’t just a policy change — it was a message.
A message that the city was willing to balance its budget by taking from the people who were least likely to complain and most likely to keep showing up anyway.

That’s not leadership.
That’s not stewardship.
And that is not how a city treats its first responders.

Meanwhile, Clawson Did What Responsible Cities Do

Clawson didn’t cut.
Clawson didn’t pull the rug out.
Clawson didn’t treat its firefighters like a line item that could be erased.

They did the opposite:

• They expanded the pension formula.
• They increased the per-year benefit for their firefighters.
• They codified it clearly in law so firefighters wouldn’t have to guess whether their service mattered.

Clawson looked at its fire department and said:
“We value you enough to invest in you.”

Meanwhile, Troy says:
“We used to value you, but not anymore.”

The Old Troy Plan Worked, The New Troy Attitude Doesn’t

For decades, Troy’s volunteer fire department was one of the finest in Michigan because the city understood something basic:

➡️ Strong incentives keep firefighters on the roster.
➡️ Experienced firefighters save lives.
➡️ Supporting your firefighters isn’t optional — it’s essential.

When Troy abandoned the incentive, it weakened recruitment, collapsed retention, and damaged morale. Experienced firefighters left. Fewer people signed up. Training loads increased on those who remained. And the city pretended everything was fine.

But it wasn’t fine.
And the firefighters knew it.
And the residents felt it.

We Need to Bring Back a Plan Like We Used to Have, Not Pretend the Problem Doesn’t Exist

Our firefighters deserve:

• A clear, fair, stable incentive plan
• A benefit tied to years of service
• A system that respects the risk they take
• A city that values their contribution

In other words, exactly what Clawson does, and exactly what Troy used to do before it took the incentive away.

This is not a radical idea.
It’s not a luxury.
It’s the bare minimum expectation of any city that claims public safety as a priority.

If Clawson Can Do It, Troy Can Too, Troy Just Needs Leadership Willing to Make It Happen

Residents deserve a fire department that is strong, fully staffed, and supported. Firefighters deserve a city that honors its commitments instead of stripping them away behind closed doors.

We need to fight to:

• Reinstate a firefighter incentive modeled after Troy’s original plan
• Make it permanent, predictable, and protected
• Ensure Troy never again pulls benefits away from the firefighters who protect us
• Build a benefits structure that matches cities like Clawson that respect their fire departments

Troy firefighters show up for us — every alarm, every emergency, every hour of the day.

It’s time this city shows up for them.

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