CANTON, Ga. — Firefighters in Canton are preparing to say goodbye to their 100-year-old department. Thursday night, city council members unanimously voted to merge Canton Fire Rescue with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services.
The city says this will save taxpayers $6 million over the next six years.
Several residents, including former council member Hooky Huffman, spoke out against the consolidation. Huffman talked with a few firefighters after the meeting and told Channel 2’s Rikki Klaus, “They’re not happy about it. They’re very proud of their department. Very proud of what they’ve done.”
Klaus spoke with Mayor Gene Hobgood, following the more than two-hour discussion.
“We are a fire department of 35 firemen,” said Hobgood. “We’re surrounded by a fire department of more than 300. It’s just good economics that we work together.”
The Cherokee County Commission still has to vote on the 50-year intergovernmental agreement before it’s a done deal. The commission meets early next week. If approved, the merger would go into effect January 1.
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