City officials here and those of a fire district that serves part of the city both say a dispute over their longtime agreement could have dire budget consequences.
In December, the city canceled its 23-year-old pact with the Robertson Fire Protection District, saying the contract’s rising cost was jeopardizing other city services.
The cancellation prompted the fire district to file suit in St. Louis County in February, alleging that the move was illegal and that the city owed the district at least $3.2 million.
Each side faults the other for a lack of communication or cooperation to resolve the conflict. The fallout came after the two entities had spent weeks discussing a merger between the district and the city’s fire department. They jointly spent about $28,000 to study the proposal.