Today’s vote was all about designating this charge for fire service as a fee instead of a tax and that’s exactly what Commissioners did after months of discussion.
Some on Commission shared a few thoughts ahead of the vote.
“It’s easy to blame the Southside Fire Department, but the fact remains, there’s a large portion of people living in our County that chooses to let other people pay for their fire protection services,” said 7th District Commissioner Dean Kicklighter.
Kicklighter says those who have refused to pay Chatham Fire for fire protection services over the years are shifting the burden of picking up the tab for fire services to their neighbors. Kicklighter explained, “We either had to raise your millage rate, or we had to put some type of fee on, cause we had to save Southside Fire Department from going under. Because had that happened, at that point, had your house caught on fire...too bad, too sad, it’s going.”