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Screven County commissioners approve $25 fire fee on vacant parcels
Summary
The Screven County Board of Commissioners voted May 11, 2021, to impose a $25 annual fire fee on vacant parcels and directed staff to amend the county ordinance; the measure passed by majority with three commissioners opposed.
The Screven County Board of Commissioners voted May 11 to add a $25 annual fire fee on all vacant parcels and directed staff to update the county ordinance to reflect the change.
Vice‑Chairman J.C. Warren moved for the fee; Commissioner Mike Dixon seconded. Commissioners Warren, Dixon, Lovett and Willis voted in favor; Commissioners Romeo, Chairman Will Boyd and Commissioner John O. Triplett voted against the motion, which carried by a majority vote.
County officials said the amendment is intended to help fund fire services and reflect costs associated with maintaining service coverage for vacant properties. The minutes record no immediate change to fee collection mechanics or an effective date; those details were not specified in the meeting record.
The board handled the vote as a standalone ordinance amendment rather than as part of a broader budget motion. Commissioners who opposed the measure did not offer an alternative fee level on the record; the minutes do not show a floor amendment or a request to delay implementation.
Next steps recorded in the minutes are administrative: staff were directed to update the county ordinance language to reflect the new fee. The record does not state when the ordinance change will become effective or whether there will be a public hearing before implementation.
