City Responds to Leon County Commission’s Position on Fire Services Fee

The controversy between the city and the county over the proposed 22% increase in fire services fees continues to escalate. Following a vote by the Leon County Commission to ignore the rate increase and a press conference by county commissioners Christian Caban and Bill Proctor, the city responded via a letter and through comments during the most recent city commission meeting.

The Leon County Vote

During a special meeting on August 12, the Leon County Commission voted 5-2, with Nick Maddox and Commissioner Carolyn Cummings voting no, to move forward with the same fire service fee as the previous year. The vote came after the county attorney advised that the city did not have the authority to impose a rate hike without the county’s approval. “I’m proud of my colleagues for standing firm and refusing to rubber-stamp a 22% increase on our residents and small businesses,” said Caban, who is spearheading the argument against the increase.

In a Facebook post, Commission Chairman Brian Welch wrote that the vote was about accountability and was not meant to be adversarial. “As partners in local government, we have an obligation to work together with our colleagues at the City, in good faith, to provide cost effective services to our community,” Welch wrote. “Likewise, as County Commissioners, we have an obligation to our neighbors to ensure that we are collecting and spending tax dollars as responsibly as possible.”

The day after the county vote, Commissioners Caban and Proctor held a press conference at the county courthouse to discuss the vote and seek transparency related to the issue. Caban and Proctor noted the inconsistencies in how religious organizations pay the fee and requested more information on costs related to fire station construction.

Caban has repeatedly voiced expressed concern about the financial impact on constituents. “To say this is only a $5 increase is simply not true — some small businesses would be hit with thousands of dollars in new costs.”

The City’s Response

The City of Tallahassee responded to the decisions by the Leon County Commission in a letter to County Manager Vince Long from City Manage Reese Goad. In the letter, Goad said, “my recommendation to the City Commission will be to exercise its authority and increase the Fire Service Fees & Assessments for properties within the City limits commensurate with the fiscal impact associated with the current collective bargaining agreement and current staffing level of the Tallahassee Fire Department and to postpone the expansion of Station 15 and construction of Station 17 and all related trucks and equipment.”

Following Goad’s letter, during the August 20 city commission meeting, City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox took a strong stand in the back and forth by acknowledging the controversy and saying it may be time for the city to end that agreement. “It sounds like a divorce is pending. It sounds like it. If we can’t count on you to help us right now, when we need it to take care of our firefighters, I’m not sure we can depend on you in the future. At the end of these three years, it may be time to end this marriage,” Williams-Cox said.

Commissioner Matlow urged a compromise. However, Caban points out that the county proposed a compromise back in June, a compromise that the city rejected in a 5-0 vote.

The recommendation detailed in Goad’s letter will be included on the City Commission’s budget item scheduled for September 3, 2025.