More than a year after formal discussions first began, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners will consider adopting an ordinance requiring property owners in the county's unincorporated area to maintain a subscription for fire services. The ordinance stems from concerns brought to the county by area fire departments.
Most heavily impacted is Chatham Fire, which services more than 35,000 properties in unincorporated Chatham County. More than 20% of those aren’t opting in to the subscription for fire services, which has created budget shortfalls for the organization. “The worst thing we could ever see is a reduction in service. That would be horrible, because the bottom line is this is about life safety and property and saving property,” said Chatham County Manager Lee Smith.