Chatham County Commission changes fire fee appeal process

CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - Another change to Chatham County’s controversial fire fee.

The county commission voted to make appealing the bill easier for people who live in unincorporated Chatham County.

Before now, if people wanted to appeal their fire fee, they would have had to at least have paid 85 percent of it. Now, that’s no longer the case.

The commission’s unanimous vote to get rid of that requirement means you don’t have to put anything towards your bill to request an appeal.

According to county leaders, fire fees are calculated based on the square footage of your property plus the square footage of burnable structures you own.

Assistant County Attorney Reginald Martin said staff and the commission decided to make these changes so the process can be smoother for any residents with concerns.

“We’re not here to try to hurt the citizens or hurt the people of Chatham County. We really want to make sure that as we address the fire fee and the fire needs in this community, that the citizens have a right to be able to appeal any concern they have regarding their billing,” Martin said. County officials say fire fees for this billing cycle should be going out within the next few weeks.

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