The move by Dover to split its fire department from the Stewart County Fire Rescue was ‘half cocked and ill advised,” Stewart County Mayor Robin Brandon said in a prepared statement.
Dover officials say the county mayor is being vindictive to the taxpayers of Dover, who also pay Stewart County taxes, because the municipality wanted to again have its own fire department.
“It’s retaliation from the Mayor!” exclaimed Dover City Council member Robert “Boo” Beechum during the most recent Dover city council meeting. “It’s retaliation from the Mayor because Dover restarted its Fire Department!”
Dover was paying $15,900 a year for dispatching services. When Dover split from SCFR and again formed its own fire department, that dispatching charge jumped to $58,000 per year. The bill is due and payable now, Brandon said.
“The Town of Dover made an ill-advised move to go in a different direction than with the established and fund based County VFD. A heavy price tag comes with making a break from that, ” Brandon said. “It’s a price tag the county could not afford and it’s why we don’t have a county funded fire department. The Town of Dover felt they could afford such a move. The county had no input, otherwise we would have advised the town on the associated costs with this major deviation from established operations,” the mayor said.
“Basically they went off half cocked , like they normally do, and now they are scrambling to put the pieces together,” Brandon said.
The escalating financial feud over dispatching costs Stewart County plans to charge Dover could be showcasing a preview of the upcoming battle for Stewart County Mayor in the coming County General Election.
Brandon plans to seek re-election to the county’s top seat he has held for the past four years.
Alderman Beechum has indicated he plans to challenge Brandon for Stewart County’s top slot.
Dover Mayor Lesa Fitzhugh also questioned the move by Brandon.
Beechum says he does not believe the Stewart County Mayor has the authority to unilaterally make the decisions to increase the amount of charges Dover pays for dispatching services without having that decision authorized and voted on in a public meeting by the entire Stewart County Commission.
So far, the Stewart County Commissioners have been quiet on the dispatching dispute with Dover, the county seat of Stewart County.
Feb.7 is the first day candidates can pick up nominating petitions to run for offices in the August 4 County General Election.
The issue was not brought up by the Stewart County Mayor or any of the Stewart County Commissioners during their most recent meeting.
[…] — NOW! Dover vs Stewart Co. brouhaha erupting over emergency Dispatching charges $$$$$$$$ ‘Half cocked, ill-advised ‘ says Stewart Co. Mayor about Dover’s Fire Dept. split … Stewart Co. Commissioner Black says Mayor Brandon exceeding his authority in upping Dover’s […]