Amid a disagreement over whether the city should hand over some of its fire stations and equipment, the county is now making the move to terminate the two governments’ fire services agreement in hopes of securing assets they say are contractually theirs.
A clause in the city-county contract states that the city has to sell the equipment and fire stations in unincorporated areas to the county at a discounted rate if the agreement is ever terminated.
Last September, the city commission, at Mayor John Dailey’s suggestion, voted to put the county on notice that the city would be “terminating the relationship” after the fire protection services contract wraps up. The city manager also used the word three times when formally notifying the county of the contract cut-off in a September 2025 memo.
But now the city is saying it never meant to terminate the deal.
County Attorney Chasity O’Steen explained to commissioners July 14 that the city is using a loophole to avoid forfeiting several fire stations and related equipment as required by the contract.
“I hate that we’re in this situation,” Commissioner Nick Maddox said during the meeting. “It should be much simpler than this.”
To ensure county officials have the necessary information and equipment if they need to stand up their own fire department, commissioners voted to send a notice to the city informing them the county will be terminating for a breach of contract. That effectively eliminates any ambiguity over whether this is an expiration or termination of contract and forces the city to hand over the assets rather than negotiate what would be handed over, according to O’Steen,
Commissioners debated initiating arbitration over the city’s verbal back pedaling, but O’Steen advised against it because they need “every day possible” if they are going to start their own fire department.
“If we go all the way through to arbitration, it could easily take six to seven months,” she said. “We have no reason to believe that the city would try to expedite any part of that process.”
Commissioner Carolyn Cummings said she felt this move put the county in a “strong position” if the city wants to “play games with termination or expiration.”
This isn’t the county taking “another shot across the bow” at the city, Commissioner Rick Minor said. The move to terminate is just to eliminate any confusion and get the ball rolling so the county knows exactly what equipment and infrastructure it’s working with.
Prior to the meeting, both Commissioners Christian Caban and Brian Welch took to social media to share their disappointment and frustration with the city’s actions.
Caban called out the city for continuing to “put petty politics over public safety,” and Welch seconded this, saying “it is unspeakably frustrating and disappointing when the City of Tallahassee takes these types of positions on issues that are clearly contrary to the intent of their policy actions.”
The county will be holding a workshop in September to weigh all of the county’s options in regard to the development of its own fire department, giving commissioners more information about how to proceed and whether they work to establish a new shared services contract once a new city commission is elected into office.
“Based on talking to all the political candidates that are running for city election, after November, I do believe that there’ll be sentiment to want to come together with the county and look at forming a new agreement that postures the city and the county in a good direction,” Caban said during the meeting.
Commissioner David O’Keefe said he believes they are all ready to negotiate.
“What will you need to make this work so we can provide fire services?” O’Keefe said, directing this rhetorical question toward the city. “We’ve got a lot to do for our community, and we stand here ready to make this work.”
A request for comment has been sent to a city spokesperson.
Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon pushes back on city’s ‘petty’ power play on fire contract
Reporting by Elena Barrera, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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By Elena Barrera, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
