NATCHEZ — Mayoral candidate Phillip West met with a group of firefighters at the station this week to clear smoke from the air, but the direction of the conversation could be a violation of city policy.

Natchez Fire Chief Oliver Stewart said West requested to meet with Natchez firefighters at the department to address some concerns and complaints West had received from firefighters.

Stewart said firefighters’ concerns included the fact that West was reportedly not talking to them or acknowledging them when he came by the station.

West said he had also heard complaints that some of the firefighters had said they did not receive a raise when West was mayor, as he has said during campaigning.

West said he wanted to inform the firefighters that police officers, firefighters and public works personnel did, in fact, receive a raise when he was mayor.

West said he also discussed other current situations in Natchez city government and what he planned to do if elected mayor.

Stewart said he did not grant West permission to talk to the firefighters for campaign purposes.

But at the meeting, which was Wednesday, Stewart said some firefighters asked West election-related questions.

Stewart said he was not able to attend the meeting, but he said he canceled two other meetings scheduled for West to talk to the firefighters on the other shifts when he learned that the meeting had become political.

Stewart said he canceled the meetings in an effort to avoid violating the city’s personnel policy.

According to the policy, if any person holding any office, place position or employment subject to the Civil Service Commission, such as fire department personnel, “actively participates in political activity in an primary or election” in the city, it could be cause for termination.

“The meeting wasn’t supposed to be political,” Stewart said. “The reason for the meeting was (West) was going to be talking to the guys about their concerns.”

West said he believed the other meetings were canceled because his opponent, Larry L. “Butch” Brown, complained about West meeting with the fire department.

Brown said someone anonymously left him the memo sent out by Stewart to fire department personnel about the meeting. He said he then called Stewart and told him he believed the meeting was inappropriate.

“(Stewart) asked me if I would like to come speak to the firefighters, and I told him that was a direct violation of the personnel policy, and I didn’t want any part of it,” Brown said.

Mayor Jake Middleton said Stewart admitted that he made a mistake by allowing the meeting to happen.

“But I don’t think it was an intentional mistake,” Middleton said.

Middleton added that if the board of aldermen decides that the meeting was a violation of the city’s personnel policy, the board will more than likely discuss it in executive session at its next meeting because it is a personnel issue.

West said his interpretation of the personnel policy did not mean that he could not campaign or meet with city personnel, just that city personnel could not campaign for him on city time and on city property.

“I did not think for one moment that making the request for a meeting and Chief Stewart giving me permission to meet with the firepersons would in any way violate the personnel policy,” West said.