Leadership

Fla. City Agrees to Turn Over Fire Dept. to County

Sept. 5, 2013

Freeport authorities say they don't have enough money to run the city's fire department, so they have agreed to turn it over to Walton County.

Source Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach

Sept. 05--FREEPORT -- Unable to fully fund its Fire Department, the city has agreed to turn over its operations to Walton County.

"We've pretty much agreed the county will assume operations in January," said Assistant County Administrator Gerry Demers, who was working as the interim administrator when the deal was ironed out.

The issue will be discussed at 7 p.m. Thursday when the City Council meets for what was originally slated as a budget meeting, Mayor Russ Baxley said.

County officials have decided to stop paying the Freeport Fire Department for fire coverage in some areas outside the city limits, Demers said.

Without the county funding, the city can't pay its firefighters, said Baxley.

"We're trying to decide which direction to go in to benefit our citizens and our firefighters as well," he said.

Freeport still owes the county $2.2 million from a loan it took in 2006 to fund the installation of sewer lines. The loan was supposed to be paid off with tap fees, but when construction slowed the revenue from tap fees never materialized.

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