Countywide : Fire Agency, County in Dispute Over Fees

The county and the newly independent Orange County Fire Authority are in a dispute over $2.3 million in overhead costs and legal fees that county officials are demanding the fire department pay.

The issue came up at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting when the county administrative office recommended that the county provide payroll and other administrative services to the authority only if the payment dispute is resolved.

A majority of the supervisors rejected that approach, voting instead to approve the administrative services contract and negotiate with the authority over the $2.3 million.

Fire Chief Larry J. Holms said Wednesday that the county wants the fire authority to pay about $2 million in overhead costs covering the past two fiscal years and about $332,000 in legal costs related to the county’s December bankruptcy filing.

The authority might owe the county some overhead fees, Holms said, but far less than the amount sought.

“We hope to meet with [the county] to discuss this disagreement and hopefully can find an equitable solution for everyone,” he said.

Earlier this year, the fire department broke off from the county and formed a joint powers board with elected officials from the cities that contract with the county for fire service.