Statesboro pauses on fire service fee as council weighs legal risk after county funding change
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Summary
City staff outlined a $2.7 million funding loss after the county dissolved the fire district and presented the fire service fee as a potential revenue option; legal counsel warned of refund-judgment risk cited in Chatham County cases and council agreed to finish the study and hold implementation pending legal protections.
The City of Statesborodiscussed potential options to replace roughly $2.7 million in lost funding after the county dissolved the local fire district effective July 1, 2025. City staff outlined the fire service fee as a more equitable way to pay for fire protection but cautioned that several Georgia municipalities have faced legal challenges to similar fees.
Legal counsel told the council that under the state refund statute recent cases have produced large judgments, noting Chatham County faces a multimillion-dollar refund judgment tied to its fee. The counsel said the risk that a court could require the city to refund collected fees is "a certainty" in litigation, underscoring exposure that could leave the city liable for large sums if a fee were later invalidated.
Council members and staff agreed the prudent path is to complete the staff study and postpone implementing the fire service fee until the city has stronger legal protections and full analysis of alternatives. The city manager said staff will finish the methodology and return recommendations rather than move immediately to adopt the fee.
The discussion closed with council consensus to pause further action on implementation at this time; no ordinance or fee was adopted during the meeting.
