The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners got its first look Tuesday night at an agreement to consolidate the Canton Fire Department into its own.
“We believe this is a win-win agreement for all parties,” County Manager Jerry W. Cooper told the board. The Canton City Council approved the pact last Thursday, and the County Board is expected to vote on it Sept. 20.
The deal saves taxpayers money, Cooper said. For example, no longer would it be necessary to construct two fire stations, one for the city and one for the county, in close proximity where a single new station will suffice – a potential $2.2 million savings.
Canton would hold onto its downtown fire station — leasing space in it to the county — and transfer to the county the South Canton Fire Station and land for a new fire house in the Bluffs area. The county, in turn, would give to the city 45.1 acres along the Etowah River next to the city’s Etowah River Park.
The city would pay the county the equivalent of the current millage rate of 3.374 for fire services as well as fire impact fees it collects, and contribute $1.25 million toward a new county fire house in the Laurel Canyon-Great Sky area.
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