Statesboro officials object to county plan to reallocate fire‑district funds; county set to terminate agreement July 1, 2025

City of Statesboro officials told the Mayor and Council they are negotiating a high‑stakes change to fire‑district funding after a County proposal to reallocate revenue and alter automatic aid arrangements.

City staff reported that the county wants to take the roughly $2.7 million the city now receives for providing fire protection in the five‑mile district, increase the total to $3 million, and retain about 60% of the resulting fund while leaving the city with 40%. The city manager said the county’s proposal would transfer much of the funding to county fire operations and that county commissioners voted in December to terminate the existing fire agreement effective July 1, 2025.

City Manager Mr. Penn said the 5‑mile district covers about 96 square miles while the city covers about 17 square miles; the manager said the city provides automatic aid beyond the district and that the county’s plan would leave some district areas with a lower level of response. “The 5 Mile District is 96 square miles. The city is 17 square miles. The fire district is 82% of the district,” the manager told council. He said current city response times to the furthest points in the district average about eight minutes, while rural county response times are longer.

Fire Chief Tim described differences between Statesboro’s current “flat class 2” ISO rating and the county’s split classification. He said automatic aid presently brings mutual benefit: the city typically sends an engine company into the county while the county’s tanker helps Statesboro for water‑shuttling operations. Chief Tim warned that if automatic aid were reduced to a single engine, properties in parts of the district could face worse ISO classifications and higher insurance costs.

Council members expressed concern about equity and double taxation if county plans proceed; several said they would not recommend accepting a deal that left the city with a substantially reduced share of the funding while requiring continued service. The city manager said staff will prepare options for the council retreat in March, and stressed the potentially significant operational choices ahead — including possible layoffs or service reductions if the city’s revenue is cut.

No formal agreement change or vote occurred at the Feb. 21 meeting; city staff said the county requested an answer by the following Friday but the city told the county it could not comply in that timeframe and would bring a plan back to council for review.