Town officials said a 1961 law says that Willie ``Troy'' Coco cannot be removed as fire chief without a public hearing of the board of aldermen and fire department officials.
``It also says you can only remove him for just cause, but it does not say what that is,'' said town attorney Kenneth Boagni during a special board meeting Wednesday.
Coco was booked last week with battery on a public official for punching Mayor Jean Coco, his uncle's ex-wife, following an apparent argument about the city's low fire rating.
A fire department's rating is used by insurance companies in setting property insurance rates for an area. Lower ratings mean higher premiums.
The board set a meeting for Sept. 15 to have a public hearing and perhaps decide Coco's fate. On Wednesday, Coco issued an apology at the meeting.
``I am sorry for any embarrassment I have caused the town,'' he said.
The mayor did not apologize and said she had done nothing to justify an apology.
``He started saying ugly things to me, and he hit me,'' she said.
Coco has been suspended as chief, but he said he is still responding to blazes as a volunteer firefighter.
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