TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Leon County commissioners met Tuesday to discuss next steps for fire rescue services and unanimously agreed to take a dual-track approach moving forward.
The plan includes working to renegotiate the current agreement with the City of Tallahassee while also beginning to plan for a county-run fire department.
During a workshop on fire rescue services, commissioners heard several presentations, including a report from Benesch, a firm hired to review the billing, collections, and records of the city and county for fire services.
Leon County Attorney Chasity O’Steen said the report found a revenue shortfall ranging from approximately $15 million to $21.2 million for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.
“Overall, what they found was there’s a range from approximately $15 million to $21.2 million for fiscal years 24 and 25, which, had that been collected, would have covered that $11.5 million budget increase that the city requested in 2025,” O’Steen said.
The second report came from Fitch and Associates, which has been working on its review for the last 10 months.
The firm found that residents are well served right now, the deployment is sized correctly, and the six volunteer fire departments are essential.
However, the firm said the main issue is the interlocal agreement between the city and county, but it can be fixed.
“The interlocal agreement, it’s an old agreement; it was originated in 2009 its been amended six times and as a result of that it’s difficult to interpret, manage by, perhaps even enforce. But all those things that are missing from the interlocal agreement, that are issues that we’ve identified, are all curable things,” said Dr. Stephan Knight, a partner with Fitch and Associates.
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Fitch and Associates recommended a dual-track approach, and commissioners agreed.
With a new city commission taking office next month, county leaders said they see an opportunity to renegotiate the agreement.
“The motion on the floor positions us to do a deal with a new city commission that I know wants to make amends to the county; I’ve talked to all of them. Two, for whatever reason, if there’s not a deal, it positions the county to have a new fire department,” said Christian Caban, chairman of the Leon County Commission.
Leon County Attorney Chastity O’Steen said she has not received any feedback from the city or heard from city leaders about the Benesch report’s findings, which were sent to the city before Tuesday’s workshop.
WCTV also reached out to the city for comment on Monday but had not heard back at the time of reporting.
This will come back before the Leon County Commission in November as a formal agenda item.
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