At least one Stewart County Commissioner is publicly saying Stewart County Mayor Robin Brandon has exceeded his authority in unilaterally deciding to increase the amount of money the Town of Dover is being expected to pay for dispatching services.
Brandon recently said in a prepared statement Dover’s move to again establish its own fire department was, “Half cocked and ill advised.”
“Mayor Brandon is the one going off half-cocked!!,” Stewart County Commissioner Jan Black said in a post to LBLUS.com on one of our recent stories about the dispatching dispute between Dover and Stewart County
“The Mayor does not have the authority to bill the City of Dover unless and until the County Commission votes. The Mayor as usual has the cart before the horse. The residents of Dover are Stewart County Citizens and pay county taxes which are utilized to pay for Dispatch,.” Commissioner Black said in a posted comment on an LBLUS.com story.
“Additionally, they (Dover residents) all are citizens of Stewart County pay a phone tax that goes should be going to pay for Dispatch. It would be interesting to find out exactly how much cash reserve 911 has and exactly how much they pay for Dispatch?? Unfortunately the Mayor and the 911 Committee have been less than transparent with the citizens of Stewart County on the use of all of the funding they receive from your phone tax!! If the 911 Committee were to pay a reasonable share of the Dispatch costs with the fees they collect, there would not be a problem. Unless the Mayor merely wants to create a problem, which is more likely the case. Your Taxes, Your County, You Decide!!,” Black said.
Recently Dover decided to split its fire department from Stewart County Fire and Rescue. For decades Dover had its own Fire Department and in recent years the municipality merged with SCFR.
When Dover decided starting in 2022 to again have its own fire department, Stewart County Mayor Robin Brandon sent the town a bill for over $58,000 up from the $15,900 Dover had been paying for dispatching costs.
Commissioner Black is one of the few, of not the only, Stewart County Commissioner who questions Mayor Brandon’s “strong handed” approach to county government.
Brandon frequently refers to Black as “the junior commissioner” from District 7. Mark Dortch is the other District 7 Stewart County Commissioner and he has served on the elected body longer than has Black. Both have the same authority as granted by state law to all elected county commissioners.
The issue of increased dispatching costs the county is assessing Dover was not brought up by Brandon or any other Stewart County Commissioner, including the chair of the powerful Budget and Finance Committee.
Many observers of local politics, including taxpayers, have said the local fire departments have been used for decades as political pawns and cogs in local political machines.
The dispatching feud between Dover and Stewart county is eerily similar to another such dispute that spawned in the early 1980s and resulted in the formation of Dover’s Fire Cepartment.
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[…] Dover/Stewart Co. Taxpayers DESERVE public meeting over dispatching dispute — 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 ~ LBL Area News Stewart Co. Commissioner Black says Mayor Brandon exceeding his authority in upping Dover’s di… […]