This summary report was derived from the video recording of the April 8, 2026 public meeting of the Excelsior Fire District Joint Powers Authority governing board. A link to that video is provided at the end of this article.
Background
The Excelsior Fire District Joint Powers Authority (JPA) board — comprising representatives from the five member cities; Jennifer Caron (Excelsior), Adam Jennings (Tonka Bay), Tony Jewett (Deephaven), Dustin Maddy (Shorewood) and Jennifer Gallagher, (Greenwood ) — convened over multiple sessions to review independent investigation reports and consider disciplinary action against Fire Chief Curt Mackey. The process included a closed investigation, testimony, and a final public hearing.
The Five Findings Against Chief Mackey
- Dual Service Compensation ($42,938 estimated cost to the district) Chief Mackey paid himself hourly wages for duty crew shifts in addition to his salary, and retroactively enrolled himself in the Fire Relief Association pension fund back to 2019 — without board knowledge or approval. The investigator found him “misleading” in his interview responses and not forthcoming with documentation. The chief argued that one board member and one relief association member were, or should have been aware, and that he assumed word would travel. The board majority found this a breach of loyalty, transparency, and honesty.
- Engine 11 Change Order Misrepresentation Chief Mackey received an invoice for $51,400 for manufacturing changes to fire engine 11 that he had requested in fall 2024. At the April 23, 2025 board meeting, he characterized the invoice as unexpected and blamed the manufacturer for not providing quotes despite emails showing ongoing communication about the changes since September 2024. The fire board chair at that time independently contacted the manufacturer, who provided the email chain contradicting the chief’s account. The investigator concluded the chief’s statements were a “material misrepresentation of facts.”
- Failure to Report Engine 21 Accident Engine 21 was involved in an accident on December 12, 2025, incurring $88,400 in damages, taken out of service, and not reported to the board until January 28, 2026 — roughly six weeks later. The chief stated prior boards did not want routine operational updates and that service continuity was maintained with a backup engine. Several board members argued this was not routine — it was a major capital asset potentially totaled — and that mutual aid partners and the public were left uninformed.
- Failure to Address Gender-Based Harassment Over approximately three years (2020–2023), a senior female firefighter repeatedly reported to Chief Mackey that a male officer treated her in a demeaning manner and denied her training and development opportunities. The chief’s documented response was to suggest she wait for the officer to retire, and to tell her that a formal complaint would be required to initiate an investigation. The investigator found the chief failed to meet his policy obligations under the district’s harassment prevention policy and that his inaction exposed the district to legal liability.
- Race and Religion Based Discriminatory Conduct. Chief Mackey used district funds to place a fire truck decal reading “I’ve Been Shanghoood” in a stereotypical Asian-style font, referring to a specific firefighter and referred to another firefighter who converted to Judaism as “Lord Shlomo.” He said both were meant as terms of endearment and accepted by those involved. The committee found the conduct constituted race and religion-based discrimination, risked creating an offensive environment, and that the decal—on a public asset—could reflect poorly on the department and offend the broader community.
Board Deliberation & Vote
The board was divided throughout. Positions fell into two camps:
- Pro-termination (Jennings – Tonka Bay, Caron – Excelsior and Gallagher – Greenwood) Cited a clear pattern of dishonesty, lack of transparency, unauthorized financial decisions, and failure to uphold basic leadership standards. A key argument was trust, once broken at this level, cannot be coached back.
“Prior to this, I didn’t have any issues and I was operating on trust, and trust is the basis of everything, especially in a leadership position.” – Mayor Adam Jennings, Tonka Bay
- Against termination (Jewett – Deephaven and Maddy – Shorewood) Credited Mackey with building the department from the ground up during a difficult labor market, championing the duty crew model, and achieving record enrollment. Argued that communication expectations were never clearly established, and that coaching, training, and a performance improvement plan were more appropriate remedies.
“If we just said take the sticker off, don’t use protected class nicknames anymore…moving forward…You can fix that right now today. – Dustin Maddy, Shorewood
Final Vote: 3–2 to terminate Chief Mackey, effective immediately.
Caron, Gallagher and Jennings voted to terminate. Maddy and Jewett voted against the motion. The board also directed the operating committee to work with an independent auditor (ABDO) to finalize dual compensation figures, and to coordinate Mackey’s transition out of the department.
Closing Statement (Board Chair)
“Today’s vote sends a message that, despite our success, our fire service will be held accountable to the highest standards of conduct for our leaders and those who serve alongside them.” – Board Chair Jennifer Gallagher, Greenwood
A follow-up meeting was scheduled for April 9 at 11 a.m. at the fire department to address questions from fire department personnel across all five member cities.
Sources:
Video recording of meeting
