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Defuniak Springs asks Walton County for fire funding as commissioners press for specifics; airport easement approved to protect grant timeline
Summary
City officials from Defuniak Springs asked Walton County for help funding Phoenix Springs fire services — a potential $125,000–$900,000 annual gap — while commissioners questioned the city’s 95% CRA TIF allocation and urged a completed fire-assessment before committing funds. Separately, the board approved an airport easement to preserve $10.98M in grants for hangar construction.
Defuniak Springs city officials asked the Walton County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 26 for county assistance to sustain or expand local fire services, while county commissioners pressed the city for concrete numbers and changes to local spending priorities.
City Manager Coby Townsend told the board Phoenix Springs Fire Department responded to 10,170 calls from 2021–2025, including 4,430 mutual‑aid calls outside city limits, and that the department’s FY2026 budget is $1,900,000. Townsend said a consultant will model a non‑ad valorem fire assessment to cover future debt and operating costs; the city's estimate of additional county funding ranged broadly from $125,000 to $900,000 annually depending on future…
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