MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Former Collierville Fire Chief John Selberg is speaking out about the circumstances surrounding his retirement, disputing allegations made against him and detailing disagreements with Town leadership in a lengthy statement released Saturday.
Selberg said he had remained quiet out of respect for Collierville Fire & Rescue, the Town and its employees, but recent public comments prompted him to respond.
Selberg specifically denied Mayor Maureen Fraser’s allegation that he made a vulgar statement in public about Town Administrator Molly Mehner.
“I categorically deny making any such statement,” Selberg said. “If anyone says I made any such comment, that is simply untrue.”
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Selberg was hired as Collierville’s fire chief in 2022. He said he was brought in to help the Town establish its own ambulance service, guide the department through a period of growth, strengthen operations and develop future leadership.
Selberg said he believed substantial progress had been made and that he eventually planned to retire, but did not believe an immediate departure was in the department’s best interest.
According to Selberg, Mehner told him July 31 that the Board wanted to go in a different direction and that he needed to develop an exit plan within 30 to 45 days.
Selberg said he then began speaking individually with members of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. He claims those conversations led him to believe several elected officials were unaware of some concerns that had been attributed to them or of an assertion that the Board had collectively decided it was time for new leadership.
The Town has given a different account of its handling of the personnel matter.
In a statement released Aug. 14, the Town said the decision to place Selberg on administrative leave was made within the Town Administrator’s authority and in accordance with established personnel policy.
The Town also said Mehner maintained continuous communication with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen throughout the process to ensure transparency among Town leadership.
At the time, the Town said it was committed to handling the matter with “objective professionalism and due process.”
A special-called meeting that had been scheduled to discuss Selberg’s employment status was postponed to allow both sides an opportunity to reach a resolution.
In his Saturday statement, Selberg said Mehner instructed him on Aug. 7 to submit an agreement by 3 p.m. that day. He said she later demanded that he submit his retirement notice by 9 a.m. Aug. 10 or she would proceed with Board action.
Selberg was subsequently placed on administrative leave.
Selberg also disputed concerns he said had been raised about his leadership, including firefighter and paramedic staffing, personnel matters, emergency management coordination and training.
He also pushed back against an assertion that the department did not have standard operating procedures for its ambulances. Selberg said EMS and ambulance procedures existed before he became chief and updated SOPs went into effect July 1.
Selberg’s statement also raised concerns about firefighter compensation, benefits, recruitment and morale.
He said a firefighter pay step plan developed in 2024 to address disparities has remained stagnant for two years despite proposals he made to improve it.
Selberg also alleged HR Director Bill Burke told Fire Department command staff that firefighters make good money and could work elsewhere if they were unhappy with their compensation.
Selberg further said he had advocated for increased vacation time for new firefighters. He claims he later learned that an increased vacation accrual rate approved for new Town employees excluded firefighters.
Those claims are Selberg’s account of internal discussions with Town officials.
Selberg also denied that a performance review was conducted in 2025 in which deficiencies in his performance were discussed. He said he routinely spoke with Mehner about department operations but was never told his performance needed to improve beyond issues they were already working to address.
The Town previously said it could not publicly provide detailed information about the personnel matter. In its Aug. 14 statement, the Town said the Fire Department continued to operate without interruption and expressed confidence in the department’s leadership team and personnel.
Selberg said he ultimately decided to retire because he did not want the dispute over his position to interfere with the department’s mission.
“The events of the last several weeks have made it clear to me that continued conflict over my role would risk distracting from the mission of Collierville Fire & Rescue,” Selberg said.
“This was not the timing or the manner in which I hoped to leave, but I do not want this situation to cause further division or disruption within the Department.”Selberg ended his statement by thanking Collierville firefighters, officers and staff and said he would remain a supporter of the department.