Commissioners debate hiring county fire marshal vs. continuing ESD 1 contract as costs and coverage clash
Commissioners and ESD representatives debated whether to hire a county fire marshal or continue contracting ESD 1 for fire‑marshal and code enforcement services; ESD 1 representatives said their turnkey model provides more coverage but commissioners asked for a direct cost comparison and tabled action.
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Commissioner Walden raised an item to post a county fire marshal position after the current ESD 1 contract (about $1,000 per day) expires in September. He said the annualized cost of contracting ESD 1 could reach roughly $360,000 and argued hiring a county employee might be more prudent. “It's not prudent use of taxpayer dollars that we could hire a fire marshal here who could also be beneficial,” he said.
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